All I Want for Christmas
by jwatkins
Summary: A struggling, single mother and her daughter unexpectedly cross paths with a kindhearted, albeit nerdy, man which turns all of their lives upside down. Could they be what the other never knew they needed? Written for the Christmas Cheer Fic Challenge 2019 - Time to let the Christmas Fluff flag fly.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story is part of the Christmas Cheer Fic Challenge of 2019. No big lead in or anything. Let's just get right to it. Here is:

All I Want for Christmas

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck.

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Chapter 1

"I know, Sweetie. It's getting close to lunch time. I'll try to be quick. I just have to go to the customer service department and talk with them about my store charge card. Then we can go." The tall, statuesque blonde waded through the throngs of shoppers, holding tightly to her young daughter's hand. She would have preferred to do this alone, but with schools on winter break, she had no choice. She never appreciated an all-day kindergarten more than today. Having to drag her five and a half year old through this holiday mess was a challenge.

"Can we look at the Christmas display before we go? Pleeeeaaase?" Her mother looked down at the miniature reflection of herself and rolled her eyes with a smirk. The little girl's adorable pleas were hard to resist, especially with the pouty lips and batting eyelashes. She sighed in resignation, chuckling to herself.

"We'll see. It depends on how long this takes. Now, remember what we talked about? What are you going to do while we're here?" She looked sternly at the young girl.

"Stay with you at all times..." she droned, bouncing her head from side to side with each word. Clearly this conversation was well rehearsed.

"And?"

"If I get lost, I find someone that works here and tell them." The mother raised an eyebrow in anticipation. "And don't talk to strangers, except the people that work here or the police. I remember it all Mommy," the little girl rolled her eyes. Like mother, like daughter.

"Very good. Now, it's super busy, so it's really important that you stay close to me. OK. There's lots and lots of people, and it will be hard to find each other in this crowd. So, please, please don't wander off," she pleaded with her daughter.

"Ok, Mommy," the little girl's shoulders slumped in resignation.

The line for the customer service desk was quite long, understandable given it was less than two weeks until Christmas. As she stood holding her daughter's hand, she looked at all the shoppers carrying their bags full of treasures. She wished so much that she could do more for her little girl, give her all the things she wanted, but that was not in the cards right now. She could see the longing on her daughter's face when she looked at toys or pretty dresses on display, and it killed her. She wanted to give her all the things she never had as a child. She didn't want her to have to do without, but right now she was stretched so thin, there just didn't seem to be any light at the end of her tunnel.

As the line slowly marched on, she looked at the display cases along the isle. They were filled with beautiful pieces of jewelry, and she felt a pang of guilt at wishing for something like that for herself, something frivolous. The young girl pressed her forehead to the case, staring in awe at the gleaming and sparkling trinkets.

"Woooow. They're so preeeetty. Mommy! That one! That one there. That would look so pretty on you Mommy. You should get that one!" the little girl exclaimed, poking her finger at the glass case.

"Yes, that is very pretty, isn't it? I just can't afford extras like that right now, Sweetie. I need to save my money for important things like… food for growing little girls," she chided mockingly as she tickled the little girl's sides. The ensuing giggle brought a smile to the mother's face, lifting her spirits. The giggling subsided and the little girl gradually became rather solemn.

"Hey. What's the matter?" her mother asked, squeezing her hand to gain her attention.

"You deserve to have nice things Mommy. You work so hard to take care of us. I wish I could get you something nice…" The sadness on the little girl's face was heartbreaking. The mother bit her bottom lip, trying to fight back a tear as she bent down to hug her daughter.

"Oh, Sweetie. I have the greatest gift I could ever ask for." She pulled away, taking the little girl's damp cheeks in her hands. "I have you, and that makes me the luckiest Mommy in the whole world. You know that?" She bopped the little girl on the nose. "Now come on. 'There's no sad faces on Christmas," she proclaimed, doing a rather poor imitation of Jim Carey's Grinch. To her daughter, it didn't seem to matter as it elicited a giggle and brought a smile to her face.

To pass the time in the line they played a game of 'I Spy', which proved to be rather challenging with the vast array of colors around the department store. Finally, after nearly twenty minutes of waiting, she stepped up to the counter and began speaking with the clerk. She was forced to release her daughter's hand to fish papers out of her purse as she continued to talk with the clerk, pleading her case regarding her card payments. The little girl looked back at the jewelry case, which was not far away. She knew her mother could still see here from there. After looking between her mother and the case, she opted to wander over to the case to get another look at the beautiful treasures.

The Christmas decorations in the store reflected a kaleidoscope of colors in the silver and gold jewelry, as the young girl stared in wide-eyed fascination. She occasionally peered back at her mother, who was still in an animated conversation with the clerk. The little girl made her way from case to case, finding new wonders in each. She became so transfixed that she went around the corner, out of her mother's sight, as she continued her exploration. She continued on, finding one distraction after another, working her way ever further from her mother. When she finally looked up at her surroundings, she found that she didn't recognize any of it. She started to walk backwards away from the case.

"Mommy?..." she called out in a weak voice. She began to feel the panic setting in as she felt surrounded by strangers that towered over her. She quickly turned around to escape but instead ran into a pair of legs, causing her to bounce back and fall to the floor, landing on her butt.

"Whoa! You alright there?" The little girl looked up at the very tall man smiling down at her. He looked very friendly but she was still scared, her mother's words playing over in her mind. As the man crouched down to be closer to her level, she could see that there was a name tag on his shirt pocket. He must clearly work here. Finally, someone that could help. The tears began to fall as the little girl confided in the employee.

"I lost my Mommy," she confessed in a shaky voice, her lip quivering as more tears fell.

"Oh, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Shhh. Shh. Shh. D-don't cry. It'll be OK. I'll… I'll help you find your mommy, OK?" He held his hand out to the little girl, offering to help her up. She looked at his hand and then at his kind eyes and warm smile. Though hesitant, she took his hand and stood up with his help. He held onto her hand, still crouched down at her level.

"Alrighty. My name's Chuck. What's yours?" The little girl looked at his name badge then back at his face.

"Molly. Molly Walker," she offered hesitantly between sniffles.

"Great to meet you. OK, Miss Molly Walker, where's the last place you remember seeing your mommy? What was she doing?" He asked softly and calmly, waiting patiently for her response.

"We… we were waiting in line for a long time," she began, taking in a ragged breath as she was still recovering from her crying.

"OK. That's good. Do you remember what she was in line to do or to buy?" he continued, talking in a calm, easy manner.

"Something about a card. I don't know. I … I started to look at the pretty jewelry and then… then I didn't know where I was." She took in a big, shivering breath as she started to get upset again.

"OK. OK. It's alright. I promise, we'll find her OK? I'm sure she's not far." He stood up to his full height, towering over the little girl. He craned his neck, looking around the area. She had mentioned jewelry and while the jewelry section was large, the nicer fine jewelry was fairly close by. He looked down at the little girl, her beautiful blonde hair in a ponytail, shimmering blue eyes looking up at him through her lashes, a sad pouty look on her face. There was just something about this little girl that just tugged at his heart, an ache in his chest. He looked back up to the area surrounding them and an idea came to him.

"I don't know what your mommy looks like and you're too short to see over all of the people. What if you were taller than me? Do you think you could find her then?" He used exaggerated gestures as he spoke, making him seem a little more child-like than most grownups. Her eyes grew big at his question. A look of hope grew across her face as she adamantly nodded her head.

"Alrighty then. How about you sit on my shoulders and then we'll walk around the area and if you see her, you just… tap on my head," he demonstrated, tapping on his own head. She almost giggled, giving him a half smile as she nodded her agreement. "OK. Great. I'll lift you up if that's OK? Do you trust me?" The little girl eyed him for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she considered him. Finally, she nodded her agreement. He gave her a big, toothy smile and she couldn't help but return one of her own. He gently lifted the little girl onto his shoulders, holding her legs firmly to ensure she would not waver or fall. She held onto his head, her small fingers getting lost in his dark, curly hair.

He slowly made his way through the jewelry section, seeing that there was a customer service desk nearby. As they were approaching the fine jewelry area, Chuck saw a woman frantically looking around. She whirled around and he nearly staggered back. The blonde woman was breathtaking, even though she wore a look of panic across her face.

'Molly!?" the woman called out, desperation in her tone as she pushed through the crowd. "Molly!". Chuck shook himself out of his stupor and started toward the woman. It was at that moment the little girl started to emphatically smack Chuck on the head and face, making it difficult to see where he was going.

"Mommy! Mommy!" she shouted wildly waving with one hand while holding onto his hair with the other. Her mother heard her voice and turned to see her daughter. Chuck saw a look of fear mixed with relief wash over her, covering her mouth with her hands. He could see her let out a huge sigh of relief as her body slumped. She looked nearly in tears as she quickly ran to meet them. Chuck lifted the girl, wincing at the pulling of his hair when she failed to let go in time. Setting her gently on the ground, she ran into her mother's arms.

"Oh, God. You scared me to death. Please don't ever do that again." The mother was breathing heavily, the ordeal having clearly rattled her.

"I'm sorry Mommy. I'm sorry. I was just… I just… and… and…." The little girl was crying into her mother's neck as she held onto her for dear life. Many of her words were muffled, so it didn't make much sense. Chuck could only stand back and watch, his hands in his pockets, feeling a little awkward, as if intruding on their moment. The mother realized that Chuck was still there, giving him an apologetic look and a forced smile. She mouthed a 'Thank you' and Chuck just gave a sheepish grin in return and nodded. Not really knowing what else to do, he eventually turned to walk away, giving them whatever privacy he could in the middle of a department store.

"Wait!" cried a small voice. He turned around just as the little girl crashed into his legs again, as she continued to holler at him. This time she held on, giving him a big hug. She looked up at him, her cheeks wet from crying.

"Thank you for helping me, Chuck." He knelt down and gave her a hug in return.

"You are most welcome, Miss Molly Walker. Now, the next time I see you, you're gonna be holding on to your mom's hand, right? So you don't get lost again?" She nodded her head in agreement, looking properly chastised even though he had not been even the slightest bit firm with her. Then her eyes grew wide and she began to smile. "Did you hear that Mommy? We get to see him again." Chuck was taken aback, a confused look on his face. As he played back their conversation in his mind it dawned on him. The mother raised an eyebrow at him and Chuck nearly turned crimson.

"Oh No. I... I didn't… That's not what I… I would never presume..." he finally let out a sigh of exasperation, shaking his head at himself. He closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. When he opened them, prepared to humbly apologize, he was shocked to see the gorgeous blonde woman standing with her arms crossed, smirking at him. There was a little sparkle to her eyes, the corners of her mouth turned up. He quickly came to the conclusion that this was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He swallowed thickly and summoned the courage to continue.

"I'm sorry. That all came out … terribly wrong. I'm uh… I'm Chuck, by the way." He cautiously extended his hand to her, a self-deprecating grin on his face. She studied his hand for a brief moment before taking it and shaking his hand.

"Sarah," she offered. His smile grew wider, reaching his eyes.

"That's a beautiful name, Sarah." He winced, cursing himself internally. "I'm sorry. That was probably wildly inappropriate. I should let you two get back to … uh… whatever it was you were doing. I'll just uh…" He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb.

"No. No, it's fine. Thank you," she replied, looking a bit bashful as she brushed some strands of her long blonde hair behind her ear. "We were just uh… getting ready to leave, actually."

"Oooo. Mommy! Can he come with us to look at the Christmas displays? Please?" The little girl was bouncing up and down, her hands clamped together, pleading with her mother.

"Miss Molly, I'm sure your mother would rather not have me tagging along. I mean … it would be a bit awkward with… you know… if your ...um... well to be in public and all." He winced again, realizing he was stumbling all over his words. The whole while he was trying to catch a glimpse of Sarah's left hand, trying to discern if there was a ring present. Unfortunately, the way her arms were folded, her left hand fingers were obscured, so he couldn't determine if there was any jewelry present.

Sarah stood watching him, an amused yet bewildered look on her face. She couldn't quite get what he was so apprehensive about until she followed his gaze. She quickly realized what he was trying to get at but didn't want to come out and say it. In this case, she was grateful but began to chuckle nonetheless. She pulled her left hand out from where it was tucked behind her other crossed arm to reveal that there was no ring. She held it up to clearly display her hand and shrugged with a wry smile. Chuck's eyes grew wide, then he gave an embarrassed smile, realizing that she had picked up on what he was so obviously dancing around.

"Oh. I… I see. Um… well uh... still. I wouldn't want to intrude on your day out together." The prospect of going anywhere with them both excited and scared the hell out of him. Molly was a sweet girl and being in her company had made him feel lighter, happier. Her mother, Sarah, was so unbelievably beautiful, it was amazing that she was even speaking to him. He felt like there was some disconnect between his brain and his mouth whenever he tried to talk to her. She wasn't just out of his league, she was playing in a whole different game altogether. Spending time with her would be incredible, but he was petrified that he would say or do something that would make her run for the hills.

She considered the man, 'Chuck', looking him up and down. He seemed to be a nice man, certainly was very sweet toward Molly. Molly was a pretty good judge of character and to see her astride his shoulders walking through the store was surprising to say the least. His smile and his warm, dark eyes were so disarming. She definitely didn't need a man in her life to complicate things further right now. However, he seemed kind, sincere and he did rescue her little girl. A walk around the mall to look at Christmas decorations was benign enough it wouldn't hurt anything. Right?

"If Chuck isn't busy with work, he's welcome to join us," she interjected, saving him from his own rambling. Chuck looked a bit perplexed at her comment, then she nodded toward him. He looked down and it finally dawned on him that he was still in his Nerd Herd uniform.

"Oh, this? No. No, I don't work here. I work at the Buy More, part of the Nerd Herd," he pointed at his name tag to further emphasize the point. "Anyway, I was just doing some Christmas shopping and ran into Miss Molly here. Well, I suppose she ran into me, technically." He closed his eyes for a brief moment, shaking his head at himself again. He took in a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. "I would be honored to see the Christmas displays with you, M'lady." He made a big show of bowing to Molly, as if addressing royalty. This drew a giggle from the little girl and a bright smile from her mother, affecting Chuck way more than he wanted to admit.

Molly held her mother's hand as they walked through the crowds. Chuck did his best to keep up, the little girl eagerly urging him on to follow. When they exited the confines of the department store and entered the wider expanse of the mall itself, Molly took Chuck's hand, holding it tight.

"You don't want to get lost too," she exclaimed as she started swinging his hand with hers. Chuck looked down in surprise at the little girl's openness, at being so quick to accept and trust him. He felt a little tightness in his chest, a warmth moving through him. Sarah was just as surprised to see her daughter being so trusting of someone. She knew it was likely a trait that Molly learned from her, keeping people at a distance. Molly had never warmed up to anyone like this, especially this quickly. Sarah didn't know what to make of it, and from the look on his face, neither did Chuck. He seemed to be about her age, she guessed, probably mid to late twenties. She didn't see fear or apprehension on his face, as she would expect from most men his age, when approached by children. No, it was something much warmer. It was almost like there was a look of adoration toward Molly. Perhaps Molly just had that way of wiggling her way into people's hearts. Sarah couldn't help but smile. The look of pure joy on her daughter's face as she pulled them through the mall really moved her.

The three of them made their way through the mall until they approached the central concourse where the annual Christmas display was set up. When they reached the entrance, the three stopped in their tracks, looking on in awe at the enormity of it all. It was a winter wonderland, filled with realistic looking evergreens, covered in snow, surrounding a replica of the North Pole. Each building was brightly decorated with lights, giant candies and ornaments. Placed throughout the village were animated polar bears playing with presents and elves having snowball fights. Everywhere you looked was a new detail, more fascinating and captivating than the last. Sarah felt Molly release her hand and when she looked to see why, she was struck by the most touching scene she could imagine. Chuck had lifted her up to give her a better view of all the wonders. The two looked on in wide-eyed innocence at the magical landscape before them. The image caused a knot to form in her chest, but in the best way possible. Her little girl looked so happy, so at peace.

As wonderful as all of this felt, the reality of it all came crashing over her. This man was a complete stranger. While seemingly a very nice and kind man, she still knew nothing about him. On top of that, in a short while he would be gone from their lives, off to live his own life. No doubt, Molly would be hurt, at least a little, feeling abandoned yet again by a male figure in her life. Sarah would be back to worrying about bills and how she was going to try to make a happy Christmas for her little girl when they couldn't even afford decorations or a tree, let alone a lot of presents to put beneath one. She could feel the stress and anxiety creeping back in, threatening to strangle out this warmth she was feeling right now. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, slowly blowing it out. She focused on the music and the happy excitement all around, pushing those toxic thoughts away and decided to focus on these happy moments, the ones she could look back on and smile. She opened her eyes and saw her daughter, brimming with excitement, which warmed her heart. Beside her she noticed Chuck, looking directly at her. He looked a little crestfallen and apologetic as he slowly lowered Molly back to the ground. He mouthed a 'Sorry' to her before straightening. She now realized he must have seen her earlier expression and taken it to mean she didn't approve of him picking up Molly to see the decorations. Now she felt terrible that he was just trying to be a kind person, and it seemed like she was unappreciative. While, yes, he was a relative stranger, he was invited to come along to look at the decorations with them. He was not doing anything inappropriate, simply aiding the little girl that he was with in seeing the decorations better. She couldn't hold that against him.

Sarah reached out and grasped his arm gently, to get his attention. He almost jumped, surprised by the contact and perhaps more so because of the person who initiated it. She gave him a small smile and mouthed to him 'It's OK', nodding down toward Molly, who was now standing on her tiptoes trying to see everything. He gave a sheepish smile and went to pick the little girl up again, but shooting her mother a questioning look at the last second. She nodded her approval with a wry smile and he gently lifted Molly up again to see the sights. They stood for some time pointing out different decorations to Molly, her pointing out others in return.

The three continued on through the display, Molly now walking between Chuck and Sarah again, holding each of their hands. When they approached the epicenter of this wonderland, they were greeted by none other than the Big Man himself. A jolly, portly old man with a long, white beard and rosy cheeks. His infectious laugh made his whole body jiggle, bringing a smile to everyone's face, young and old alike. Much to her surprise, it was not her daughter but Chuck who was first to speak up.

"It's Santa!" he exclaimed, a little more excited than one would expect from a grown man. Sarah tried to hold back a giggle at his child-like enthusiasm. She watched Chuck turn to Molly, expecting to see her join in his excitement and was quickly brought back down to Earth when he saw her sad, shy expression.

"What's the matter Miss Molly? It's Santa! Don't you want to go see him? Tell him what you want for Christmas?" Chuck asked a bit incredulously. She just shook her head, turning her gaze to the floor. Chuck stole a questioning glance at Sarah, who was equally as surprised as Chuck.

"Sweetie, what's the matter? You've always loved to sit on Santa's lap," Sarah crouched down so that she could crane her neck to look into Molly's face. The little girl looked up between the adults on either side, looking a bit unsure of herself. "It's OK. Whatever it is, you can say it," she encouraged her daughter with a loving tone. Still looking apprehensive, the little girl nodded.

"I don't … I don't think he's real," she confessed in a small voice. The admission shocked Sarah, not realizing that her daughter was having any doubts.

"What d'you mean he's not real? What makes you think that, Sweetie?" Sarah inquired, trying to keep a calm, soothing tone.

"Well, I keep asking for something and he never brings me what I ask for." Molly's eyes began to tear up as a pout began to form on her face.

"Oh, Sweetie. I don't understand. All your letters to Santa, he's always brought you most everything you've asked for. What hasn't he brought you?" Sarah was trying to hide her emotions at seeing her daughter so distraught.

"I never asked for it in my letters. I only asked him in person where… where you couldn't hear. I… I wanted it to be a surprise for you." The little girl looked sheepishly at her mother, afraid she might be angry at her confession.

"Oh, baby girl. What could you possibly ask for that you wouldn't want me to know about?" Sarah asked, pushing some stray hairs behind the little girl's ear. Chuck looked on intently, not wanting to interject where it wasn't his place. They could see the little girl swallow hard, building the courage to answer her mother.

"The last two times I asked Santa to … to bring me a daddy, so you wouldn't be so lonely anymore and we could be a family." Large tears streaked down the little girl's face as she revealed her secret to her mother. Sarah gasped, covering her mouth with both hands, tears welling in her eyes. Sarah had to turn away, unable to hold back the tears any longer. Chuck, still kneeling beside the little girl, fought to hold back tears of his own. The sincerity of the little girl's wish for a family struck him hard as well, having spent a large portion of his life without parents. He was all too familiar with that desire, that longing for family. While he still had his sister, there was still an emptiness that went unfilled. He could see Sarah was overcome with emotions and thought he should say something to give her some time to recover. He gently took the little girl's hands and turned her to face him.

"Miss Molly. That is a pretty big wish to ask of Santa. Have...have you ever watched the movie Aladdin? The one with the blue genie?" he asked, looking into the little girl's eyes. She returned his gaze and slowly nodded her answer.

"And do you remember what he said about the rules for wishes?" he continued, trying to hold her attention. She nodded again, but looking a little uncertain.

"Well, in short, he couldn't bring people back who had already died, he couldn't grant you more wishes and he couldn't _make _someone fall in love. You remember?" She nodded her head again, this time a little more certain.

"Well, the same rules apply with Santa as well. Free will, everyone's right to make their own choices in life, is a very special thing. Nobody should be able to take that away from you. If a genie, or Santa, were to force someone to be your daddy, that person wouldn't have a choice in the matter, right?" The little girl looked at him thoughtfully.

"Yeah. I guess so," she answered softly.

"Would you want to have a daddy because someone forced them to be your daddy? Or would you want a person who … who really cared for you? Someone who loved you,... and your mom, and wanted to be part of your family?" Chuck looked deep into the girl's eyes and something in him made his voice hitch as he finished his question. The little girl's eyes grew wide, as if she finally understood what Chuck was really saying.

"I'd want them to love us 'cause they wanted to, not 'cause they had too." The little girl looked down at her feet but still held onto Chuck's hands. "I was being selfish."

"What? No. No, you weren't being selfish. You love your mommy and wanted to give her something very special. That's not being selfish at all. Just because you might have gotten something out of it too, doesn't make it selfish. Wanting a family isn't selfish. We all want family, need family in our lives. I think it's one of the least selfish gifts I've ever heard of." He squeezed her hands, eliciting a small smile from the little girl.

"Boy, I was gonna ask him for a new pair of tennis shoes and a video game. How selfish is that?" He asked in a mocking, self-deprecating tone which caused her to giggle. Chuck grinned at the little girl, feeling pleased with himself that he seemed to resolve the situation. It then struck him that he had completely ignored Sarah during the exchange and quickly shifted his gaze to her. She was on her knees, behind Molly, sitting back on her heels. She was returning Chuck's gaze with a look that he couldn't decipher, and he feared that he may have way overstepped his bounds.

When she'd turned her head to hide her tears from her daughter, she'd heard Chuck begin to console Molly. As he began to talk about genies and wishes, Sarah was pulled into the conversation, drawn in by his soothing and kind voice. She listened silently as he continued to explain to Molly the virtues of love and free will. As she watched him with her daughter, and the ease at which she seemed to trust him, something awoke deep within her, a feeling she had not felt before. She was feeling an attraction to him that she couldn't describe, and, if she was honest, it scared the hell out of her. As scary as it was, she couldn't help but feel enthralled as well.

From streaming tears to bouts of giggles, he knew how to make Molly smile, how to ease the pain. She knew that it was beyond ridiculous to have any sort of feelings for this man, her head and heart were in an epic struggle. She could do nothing but gaze in awe of him. Chuck. His warm eyes melting her icy walls, tipping the scales of the battle in her heart's favor. Without looking away, he continued.

"But just as it wouldn't be fair to the man, it wouldn't be fair to your mommy, either." He might not have been able to read her expression, but her eyes, those azure pools, were as deep as the ocean. He was lost, sinking, but allowed himself to drown in them. "Your mom deserves to find someone that makes her happy and … loves her beyond measure." He truly felt like he was sinking. Deeper and deeper, his stomach all a flutter, as if on a roller coaster. He swallowed thickly and forced himself to look back at the little girl, fearing he had squeezed her hands too hard while lost in his thoughts. He patted her hands before letting them go with a sheepish smile.

"I think Santa deserves another chance, don't you? I mean, what have ya got to lose?" Chuck asked her matter-of-factly with a shrug. A wry smile grew across the little girl's face as she spun to confront her mother.

"Mommy! Can I? Can I go see Santa? Pleeeaase?" The excitement had returned to her little girl, which helped shake Sarah from her swirling thoughts. Seeing that light in her daughter's eyes again, Sarah's grin grew from ear to ear, feeling happier than she could remember.

"Well… of course. What are we waiting for?" She stood and took the little girl by the hand, leading her to the line to greet Santa, a little skip in their step. Chuck followed behind but kept his distance. He felt like he may have overstepped his bounds with Sarah, a stranger inserting himself in their lives. There was a yearning within him to be close with them, but he needed to know his place. He watched Molly and Sarah talking and laughing, and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Molly stood up straight with a start and frantically started looking around. When she turned around and locked eyes with Chuck, she relaxed and the smile returned to her face.

"There you are. Come on, Chuck. Come on," the little girl waved him over. Chuck just smiled sheepishly but waved back, indicating that they should go ahead without him. Sarah looked over her shoulder at him and then down at her daughter, who was insistently motioning him on.

"Yeah, Chuck….. Come on," she said teasingly, motioning with her head for him to come join them. His sheepish smile turned a little more serious and he met her gaze, her soft smile was a siren song he just couldn't resist. He walked up to join them, Molly taking his hand forcibly, her excitement bubbling over. Chuck seemed taken aback by her forwardness, but didn't pull away. He shared a look with Sarah, who then looked down at his hand, which was joined with her daughter's. She lifted her gaze to his with a smile before turning her attention back to Molly, who was full of questions about Santa, the North Pole and Christmas in general. They all talked and laughed as they proceeded through the line.

When they finally reached the moment of truth, a young woman dressed as one of Santa's elves motioned Molly to come along. She was so excited, but before leaving, she took the hands she had been holding and joined them together.

"Here. I'll be right back," before bounding off to see Santa. Chuck and Sarah stood in shock, looking at their joined hands, neither making a move to separate themselves. The sensation that had passed between them was electric. It felt so warm and comfortable, but with an odd tingling that neither could explain. Finally, Chuck was able to compose himself enough to make words.

"We should uh… probably..." Chuck trailed off, not looking away from their joined hands.

"Oh, yeah. Uh… definitely. We … we should probably just…" Sarah replied quickly but trailing off as well, unable to look away.

"Yeah. Definitely..." he said in a dreamy tone, finally pulling his hand away slowly, redirecting his gaze toward Molly, who was climbing onto Santa's lap. Molly greeted him and told him her name. She leaned in and made a point of whispering to him, covering her mouth to prevent others from seeing. She looked over toward her mother, as did Santa, before turning back to him to continue their discussion. The jolly man chuckled, looking back over at Chuck and Sarah a few times, nodding, as the little girl continued. Eventually, he had asked her what she wanted for Christmas. She whispered some things again and he nodded his understanding. Some pictures were taken and he bid her a 'Merry Christmas' with a hug, waving goodbye.

Seeing her fast approaching, Sarah and Chuck quickly rejoined hands, just as Molly had left them, almost as if by instinct. Molly ran back to Sarah, slamming into her mother's right side, taking her free hand in hers. Sarah looked back and forth between her two hands, a little uncertain about what to do. She stole a glance at Chuck, who seemed equally unsure. The temporary joining had been under the pretense that Molly would want to come back and be between them again. The rules now seemed to have changed and neither were quite sure what to do. They looked at one another and there was something unspoken that passed between them. A slight squeeze of their joined hands was accompanied by a small smile. They released each other's hands and began walking through the mall again. They remained close enough that their fingers brushed together occasionally. Sharing a glance and a smile now and then, it all felt so comfortable, as if they'd been doing this for years. After a few minutes. Molly let out an exasperated groan.

"Ugh. Mommy, I'm hungry. Can we get something to eeeeeaat?" Molly asked in a whiny voice, her feet starting to drag.

"Uh… Yeah, Baby. We'll get something to eat." Things were tight, but she could at least afford a meal out once in a great while. She had originally planned on saving the money and eating at home, but she didn't want to make that known in front of Chuck. As she glanced at Chuck, who was now walking with his hands in his pockets, Sarah bit her lower lip, contemplating another small leap forward. Hell, they had already held hands and that was pretty damn crazy, right? What was a little more crazy thrown into the mix gonna hurt? "Where uh… where would you like to go for lunch, Chuck?" she asked meekly.

"Wha… who me? Wh.. um… you want me to go with you?" He stammered out, taken aback at the offer. He was amazed and humbled at how they had so easily welcomed him into their lives. Perhaps he was taking advantage of their kindness and missing subtle cues that he should excuse himself and let them have their family time.

"Yes, you. You do eat, right?" Sarah asked, bumping shoulders with him.

"Of… of course I eat. It's just… I … you've been so great, including me in your day. I just… I sometimes have a tendency to overstay my welcome, so if you two… if you need-" Sarah gently took hold of his forearm, giving him pause from his rambling. He glanced down at her hand, swallowing thickly before lifting his gaze to meet hers. She gave him a soft smile before diverting her attention to Molly.

"I think Molly would be OK with you joining us. What d'you say Sweetie?" Sarah asked, wiggling her other hand that was still holding onto her daughter, eliciting a giggle from the little girl.

"Yes! You have to come! Please, please, please." Molly bounced up and down with excitement as she pleaded with him. Chuck couldn't help but blush a little, touched that the girl was so insistent that he join them.

"I think that settles it. You have to come now," Sarah teased, chuckling at her daughter's antics.

"How could I possibly say 'No' to two such lovely ladies?" he grinned sheepishly, shrugging in faux resignation.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Molly sat happily, swinging her legs, using her French fries as vessels for scooping ketchup into her mouth. Sarah sat next to her, sighing in exasperation, while Chuck sat across from them, beaming at the two ladies in amusement. They had stopped at an In-N-Out Burger that was attached to the mall. Upon ordering, a disagreement about who would pay ensued.

"Chuck, I invited you to lunch. Ergo, I should pay," she argued.

"No, I got it. Really." Chuck had his wallet out and was trying to move in to pay.

"Chuck…"

"Please. Please let me do this. You guys… you let me spend the afternoon with you and frankly, I can't remember ever having a better time. Let me say 'Thank you' by doing this. It would mean a lot to me," he pleaded. Sarah could hear the sincerity in his voice. She initially thought it might be a case of him trying to be 'the man' and pay for the meal based on some antiquated social norm. His explanation was heartfelt and she just couldn't say 'No' to him, so she relented. Secretly, she was relieved and ashamed at the same time. Her budget really couldn't handle paying for all three of them. Some part of her had banked on him offering to pay, and it made her feel horrible inside to wish for that. His pleading to allow him to pay, despite her weak attempt to argue, made her feel a little better, like she was not completely taking advantage of him. The smile on his face when she relented eased much of that guilt, but she would insist that she help in some way.

"Ok. It's unnecessary, but very nice of you. Thank you, Chuck." She gave him a wry smile and continued, "But I get to carry the tray." That made him laugh and he happily relented.

"That's probably best. I have two left feet, so I'd likely end up spilling it all." They both chuckled at that, any awkwardness surrounding the payment for lunch melting away.

Chuck and Sarah ate in comfortable silence, while Molly chattered on about any number of unrelated topics. She would ask questions but answer them for herself and kept right on going.

"So, you said you were out Christmas shopping. Who were you shopping for? Parents? Friends? … significant other?" Sarah asked trailing off, trying not to make it sound like she was fishing for information.

"Uh yeah. I mean no! I mean…" he sighed in exasperation at himself for what felt like the hundredth time today. "I meant that, 'Yes' I was shopping, but not for parents or significant others. I don't have either of those. And I only have one friend, Morgan, and he's off in Hawaii trying to learn to be a hibachi chef," he shrugged giving a half smile.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry," she apologized, wincing at the sore spot she seemed to have stumbled into.

"No, no. It's alright. Those are legitimate questions. My parents left when I was young, that just left my older sister, Ellie, and I. I've only really had one 'significant other' and that … well, that didn't go so well." Chuck mindlessly played with his fries as he spoke, not really able to look at her.

"That's terrible! I'm so sorry about your parents. That had to have been tough. And your girlfriend..err… 'significant other'... pretty bad, was it?" She wasn't sure why she was asking, but some part of her was extremely curious.

"Let's just say that I thought we would eventually get married and have kids, while she thought she'd have," Chuck looked at Molly and cleared his throat before continuing, "…'relations' with my roommate… on my bed…" Sarah gasped and instinctively reached out across the table and took his hand.

"No! Are you kidding me? That's awful!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. Chuck just shrugged but looking at her hand on his brought a smile.

"I'll admit, I was pretty messed up for a while, but I eventually got my act together. Sure what they did hurt me, but the way I chose to deal with it, that was all on me. So I stopped feeling sorry for myself and got on with my life. I know, I know. The Buy More isn't exactly 'getting on with my life'. That's what Ellie keeps telling me. It's just a means to an end though. Soon, I'll publish my own software and I can get outta that place and start my own company. I just need to … you know… buy food in the meantime," he smirked, chuckling at himself.

"That's great that you're going to be able to do something you enjoy." Sarah was legitimately happy for him. It sounded like he had gotten some bad breaks in life. For a man as good and kind as he was, he deserved something to go right. She had to admit, she was a little envious, but hoped it didn't show.

"What about you? What is it you do?" Chuck asked, resting his chin on his free hand, giving her his full attention.

"Me? Well, I work as an events coordinator for Safe Harbor, a non-profit organization that raises money for shelters and programs for battered women." Sarah paused for a moment, as if collecting her thoughts. "Don't get me wrong, it's rewarding work and a very worthy cause. It just … doesn't pay a lot." Sarah sighed, stirring her drink with her straw.

"That's very noble work. I envy you." Sarah was taken aback by his admission, especially given she had the same thought about him.

"Envy me?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. You're in a position to help a lot of people. People who may not have anywhere else to turn. Your organization is saving the lives of women and likely the children they escape with. You get to be a part of that. It must be a good feeling. Right now I just fix computers. I don't really have an impact on anyone's life," he shrugged. Sarah furrowed her brow and gently patted his hand.

"That's not true at all. You had an impact on our lives today and I, for one, am very thankful. She's my whole world." Chuck began to blush, ducking his head with a sheepish smile. They sat there, silence between them, but thankfully filled with Molly and her endless supply of questions. She had been coloring on her placemat, respectfully not interrupting the adults while they were talking. Once there was a lull in the conversation, that was her cue to jump back in with the questions.

"Why can't I see my eyes? … I wonder what my elbow tastes like… How did they make the first tools if there were no tools to make the tools?"

"OK. On that note, I think it's time to go," Sarah interrupted, as she started to gather all their trash.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chuck walked with them back through the mall to Sarah's car. Something in him really wanted to hold Sarah's hand again but he knew that was pushing things a bit too much. Instead he settled for the next best thing and held Molly's hand as Sarah took the other. Sarah let Molly into the back seat of her car and helped her with her booster seat. After closing the back door, Sarah turned to Chuck, fidgeting with her keys. Chuck stood with his hands in his pockets, rocking anxiously on his heels.

"So… um… I'm really, really not good at this sort of thing but, I had an amazing time today Sarah. This may sound crazy, but I… I was wondering if… if you would like to have dinner on Sunday, at my place? With… with me." Chuck looked worried and hopeful as he gazed at Sarah. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, a forlorn look on her face.

"Chuck… I… I don't think I could manage to get a sitter. I don't really know anyone…."

"Oh, no. No, no, no. I meant, 'you'," he made a point of emphasizing 'you' as he drew a circle in the air, gesturing toward Sarah and Molly. "I assumed that you two were a package deal." Sarah took in a quick breath and let out a small huff. She swallowed thickly, fighting against every ounce of her being to keep from kissing this man, right here and now. _Get ahold of yourself, Sarah! _This was all happening too quickly. Dinner at his place? He had included Molly, so one would hope that he didn't have … 'other things' on his mind. From the time they'd spent together, he didn't seem that shallow. He had been a perfect gentleman, always keeping eye contact, never 'wandering'. He never attempted to hit on her or flirt overtly. If she were being honest with herself, she couldn't think of the last time that she had dinner with other adults. It was just dinner after all, right?

"That… that actually sounds nice, Chuck," she replied at just above a whisper, the hitch in her throat causing her voice to fail her. Chuck didn't seem to mind as the brightest smile spread across his face, reaching his eyes.

"That's … that's wonderful! Ooooh. Um… I uh… I kinda left out one small, little detail…" Sarah raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her body. _And here it comes. I knew it was too good to be true. _Chuck's ears were turning red as he stumbled to get the words out.

"See… um... I live with my sister and her fiancé. We have family dinner on the Sundays they don't have to work. Ellie loves to cook and there's always left overs for days. I'd… I'd really like for you two to come. We're gonna be decorating the tree afterwards and I thought that maybe… maybe Molly and … and you might like to join in." Chuck had a hopeful look on his face as he waited for her response. Sarah was dumbfounded.

"Chuck, that's your family time. We couldn't possibly…"

"Sarah, please. Ellie and I were the only family we had for a long time. During that time, we grew to realize that family isn't just about heredity or blood. It's about… surrounding yourself with friends, the people you… you care about … and those that care about you. That's what family means to us, so I didn't take it lightly when I asked you two to come."

"Chuck, I… I don't know what to say?" Sarah was bewildered, overwhelmed by the gravity of his gesture. She couldn't believe the day she'd had. What started out as very trying had turned into one of the best days she could remember.

"I hope you'll say that you'll at least think about it," he replied with a sheepish grin. Molly was trying to do her best to not interrupt the adult's conversation, but she could be clearly heard pleading from the backseat, bouncing in her booster seat.

''Ooo! Ooo, ooo. Please. Please. Please. Mommy. Pleeeeeeaaaase…" Sarah rolled her eyes at her daughter's antics, Chuck twisting his lips to avoid lauging outright. Giving in, Sarah reached out and squeezed his wrist.

"Ok… I'll think about it," giving him a small smile.

"Oh, that… that's great." He started feeling around in his pockets, desperately trying to find a piece of paper on his person. "If I could just find … a piece of… paper, I could give you …" Sarah chuckled to herself and just held out her hand to him.

"Your phone," she declared, waiting for him to fish it out of his pocket. She took it from him and began typing something. With a smirk she handed his phone back to him. A second later, Sarah's phone beeped and she showed the screen to Chuck. "I'll call or text you to let you know." She got into the driver's seat and buckled up, waiting until the last minute to close the door.

"Um… just so you know, I had a good time today too," she confessed with a wide smile. Chuck returned the smile, blushing a bit. Sarah closed the door, waving goodbye, as did Molly. Chuck waved in return and watched them drive away. When they pulled out of sight, he could no longer hold in the fist pump as he shouted, 'YES!', then immediately straightened, realizing how loud that was. He quickly walked away, heading to his car.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chuck was fumbling with the keys to his car when his phone started to vibrate. He pulled the phone out, swiping to answer without looking as he juggled his keys.

"Yello…" he answered, his phone wedged between his ear and shoulder as he worked to unlock his care.

"Yellow?" Sarah's voice snorted on the other end. Chuck's head shot up and he only just caught his phone before it plummeted to the ground.

"S-Sarah? Wh-um… Hi," he stammered out as he got the phone back under control against his ear. He could hear the chuckle in her voice, and he was sure she was laughing at his bumbling.

"Hi, Chuck." He could hear the mirth in her voice. "Is uh… is that how you normally answer the phone?" He could hear the teasing tone in her voice and, before he could filter his words, his mouth spoke.

"Only when beautiful women call me…" There was silence on both ends but Chuck stumbled forward. "Which uh… which has only happened just the one time. Soooo… before I embarrass myself any further, what uh… what can I do for you?" He winced, cursing himself internally. Sarah cleared her throat, a little hum as if trying to stave off a chuckle.

"Well, Molly and I were talking it over and she decided that she'd like to accept your invitation. If the offer still stands?"

"Um, yeah. It's only been… six minutes. I think it's safe to say the offer still stands," he replied with a chuckle. "And since she has so graciously accepted my offer, will Miss Molly be bringing a plus one?" Chuck asked, trying his best to sound like a British aristocrat. He was hoping that his attempts at humor would mask his nerves. Sarah snorted at his remarks.

"Yes. I'll be her chaperone for the evening. Miss Molly would like to inquire if there's anything that she might bring. A dessert? Some wine perhaps?" Sarah seemed to play along with his joke, mimicking his accent. He chuckled warmly, pausing a moment to revel in their banter.

"Please tell her Ladyship that we merely require her presence and that of her … chaperone. Shall we say seven o'clock?" He twisted his lips trying to hold back a giggle. Sarah either failed or didn't attempt to hold back her giggle, the sound warming him inside.

"Seven o'clock then." She replied. Chuck could hear Molly giggling in the background too. "We'll see you then." Her voice returned to normal, sounding warm and cheerful.

"Bye Chuck!" Molly yelled, eliciting a laugh from Chuck.

"Bye Molly!... Bye Sarah." The call ended and after pausing a moment to soak it all in, he texted her his address, including the emoji with the monocle. He followed it up with the toothy smiley face emoji. He got in his car, taking a deep breath before leaving. He couldn't help but smile the entire way home.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. If so, send me some reviews to let me know. If you didn't like it for some reason, that's OK too.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: All I Want for Christmas - Chapter 2 - Dinner at the Bartowski's

Go get some kleenex… I'll wait… OK. You good? Alright. Proceed.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck.

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Chapter 2

Sarah stood in front of the apartment, Molly holding one hand, a bottle of wine in the other. Her daughter was holding a bouquet of flowers, which almost matched the dress she insisted on wearing. Sarah took in a calming breath and looked down at Molly.

"You ready?" The little girl just beamed up at her, nodding her head emphatically. Sarah released her daughter's hand just long enough to knock on the door before taking it again. She still couldn't believe she was here. She had just met him a few days ago and now she was about to have dinner with his family. Wasn't that the sort of thing you did after dating someone for a while? When things were serious? As she thought back, she couldn't remember ever meeting the parents of any of the guys she's dated previously. She wasn't sure if that was more of a testament to the men she dated or if it was her inability to really commit to anyone. Before she could ponder that any further, the door opened.

"Well, Hi! Oh my gosh, you must be Molly." The brunette woman bent down, her hands on her knees. "That dress is so beautiful, and those flowers! Did you pick those out?" Molly had a huge smile and nodded her head, feeling very proud of herself. Sarah was immediately put at ease by this woman. She had the same kind smile as Chuck and, given the similar features, she could only guess that this was his sister. The fact that she addressed Molly first seemed like something Chuck would do. Maybe this is where he got that from.

Molly handed the bouquet of flowers to the woman, looking a little sheepish. The woman made a big show of thanking her and smelling them. She then turned her attention to Sarah, extending her hand in greeting.

"Hi. You must be Sarah. Chuck's told us so much about you, though I suppose I should have kept that part to myself," she grinned with a wink. "I'm Ellie, Chuck's sister." The two shook hands as Ellie's eyes grew wide. "Oh. You brought wine," she exclaimed.

"Yeah. I hope that's OK. Chuck said I didn't need to bring anything, but I wouldn't feel right…" she trailed off, feeling a bit apprehensive.

"Oh, No. Are you kidding? You're a woman after my own heart. Please, come in you guys." Ellie stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter, closing the door behind them. "Here, let me take the wine to the kitchen, and if you don't mind, Molly, would you like to come and help me find a vase to put these flowers in? Then we can make them the centerpiece for the table." Molly nodded with excitement, turning to her mother for approval. Sarah nodded her agreement with a smile and watched as the two headed for the kitchen.

Sarah walked into the living room, admiring the decor and looking at some of the pictures dotted throughout the room. They were all pictures of Ellie and Chuck, or Ellie and Devon. There were a few with Chuck and a much shorter, bearded man, perhaps the hibachi guy Chuck spoke of… Morgan? There were no pictures of parents or other friends, just these few. Despite that, they all seemed to be so happy, both brother and sister brandishing the smile she had come to recognize as uniquely theirs. She had a fleeting thought of what it would be like to be part of those pictures, to be that happy. She shook the thought away, not wanting it to spoil the mood.

"Ellie, you have such a lovely home. I … I can't help but feel like we're intruding on your family dinner." Ellie walked out of the kitchen, holding a lovely glass vase filled with flowers from their bouquet. She set it down in the middle of the dining table, Molly giving her approval.

"Don't be silly!" Ellie exclaimed as she walked over to where Sarah stood. "We were so excited when Chuck said he had invited friends over for dinner. When he told us how you three met… Well, I think what struck me most was how excited he was about you guys coming. He… he hasn't been this excited about anything in years. So, thank you." Ellie squeezed Sarah's forearm, giving her a bright smile that reminded her so much of Chuck.

"Hey Babe. You need any help in the… Oh! Hey guys!" A tall, blond man came in from what Sarah assumed were the bedrooms. He was a very handsome and well-built man, much like you'd expect to see on the cover of GQ or Men's Health. He had a kind smile that was infectious. He approached Sarah and extended his hand.

"I'm Devon. You must be Sarah." The two exchanged pleasantries and then Devon kneeled down to address Molly. "And who might you be, little lady?" She ducked her head, playing bashful but still quietly voiced her name. "Molly? That's such a pretty name," he proclaimed, standing back to his full height. "It's really awesome that you guys could come. It's all Chuckster could talk about the past few days." Ellie, elbowed him in the ribs good naturedly and the two chuckled. Sarah couldn't help the blush that was creeping up her neck and cheeks. This wasn't the first time they had mentioned Chuck's excitement, and it made her stomach flutter. Maybe he really was as excited about tonight as she was. They had only texted a few times since they parted ways at the mall the other day. She thought there might have been an air of anticipation in their conversation, but perhaps she was just projecting. It wasn't like they texted in all caps or anything. She was beginning to feel a bit ridiculous. She barely knew Chuck, but she couldn't deny that there were feelings there. Feelings she didn't know were possible. Feelings that, truth be told, still scared her a little, even though she'd had a few days to think about it. She was pulled from her thoughts by a gasp over her shoulder.

"Y-you're here!" Chuck was surprised, and beyond excited, to see that Sarah and Molly had actually come. There was a part of him that had been worried that Sarah might change her mind or just not show up. She was so smart, funny and unbelievably gorgeous. She was so far out of his league that he couldn't fault her if she did bail. But she was here, in his living room, and God did she look incredible.

"Chuck!" Molly shouted before racing off to tackle him in a bear hug. Chuck couldn't help but beam at the little girl as he scooped her up and hugged her in return.

"I'm so glad you could come. But I didn't know that this was the Princess Ball. You wore such a pretty dress, I should have worn a tuxedo or something." The two giggled, Molly playfully admonishing him.

"Chuck, you're so silly. This isn't a Princess dress. It's just a pretty dress. Do you like it?" She looked on in anticipation, eager to hear his answer.

"Like it?! I love it! You look so beautiful. I better put you down though, otherwise I'll wrinkle it." He gently set Molly on the floor, her hand quickly finding his. His eyes were immediately drawn to Sarah. He gave her a wry smile as he walked closer to her.

"Thank you for coming. You look… Wow. You look amazing. I feel like such a schlub around you two," he confessed with a self-deprecating sigh. Chuck was oblivious to the looks that Ellie and Devon were sharing with each other, which was just as well, since they would likely make him blush furiously.

"I'm sorry I took so long. I had to work today, so I just wanted to hop in the shower. Can I um… can I get you something to drink?" Chuck asked as he started walking toward the kitchen.

"Chuck, Sarah brought wine. It's on the counter. Why don't you pour us all a glass?" Ellie hollered after him.

"Where is it?" he retorted.

"It's. On. The. Counter," she repeated slowly, dripping with sarcasm.

"Where? Oh, never mind. It's on the counter. I got it." Ellie looked up at the ceiling, shaking her head with an exasperated groan.

"That man is a genius, but there are days I wonder how he finds his way out of his room." That elicited laughter from the three adults in the room.

"Is it really that bad?" Sarah inquired, uncertain if this was something she should be concerned about if anything were to happen between them.

"OK. I may have exaggerated a tiny bit. Not about the genius part though," Ellie replied apologetically.

"Is that so?" Sarah raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"He hasn't talked about it? … What am I saying, of course he wouldn't tell you. I'll make him tell you about it at dinner. He hates to talk about himself. It'll be fun to watch him change all shades of red," Ellie snickered, a devilish grin on her face.

"OK. I'm relatively certain you're in here laughing at me, but that's OK. I bring wine to redeem myself." Chuck handed each of them a glass of wine.

"Oooo. I knew there was a reason we kept you around," Ellie joked, gleefully accepting the glass of wine, taking a sip.

"Thanks, Chuck," Sarah toasted him with her glass with a smile. He gave her a wry smile in return before heading back to the kitchen. He returned a few seconds later, holding another glass of red wine and a glass of what looked like some sort of white wine.

"Devon, here's yours. Miss Molly, I have a glass of wine for you too, but you'll have to come sit at the table and drink it." Chuck instructed, gesturing toward the table. Molly's eyes grew as wide as saucers, her mouth agape. Chuck winked at Sarah before helping Molly with the chair. The wine glass was actually a disposable plastic wine glass, held over from one of Ellie's parties. "Now, you be careful and don't drink it too fast. You wouldn't want to get it all over your pretty dress." He smoothed her hair back as he walked away from the table, a goofy smile on his face. He took his own glass of wine from the kitchen counter before joining the rest in the living room. They were all seated, Chuck taking a spot at the end of the loveseat, opposite Sarah. She stared at him with a wry smile, waiting for him to say something. After a few seconds he leaned toward her.

"White grape juice," he uttered in a faux whisper.

"You're her hero, you know that?" Sarah admitted, her tone becoming a little more serious.

"Pfft. I'm… I'm no hero. My girlish screams whenever I see a spider are testament enough to that," he replied, sounding a bit dejected.

"First, don't confuse fear and bravery. Bravery isn't the absence of fear, Chuck. A hero doesn't always have to be brave either. A hero is someone who is admired for their … noble qualities. The great deeds that they do. That's why you're her hero." Sarah tilted her head to catch Chuck's gaze. He caught her eye and gave her a small smile.

"Well, in that case, I'm proud that she thinks I'm a hero." Chuck fidgeted with his wine glass, not really knowing what else to say to that humbling declaration.

"She's not the only one…" she trailed off, taking a drink of wine.

"Chuck, could you give me a hand in the kitchen?" Ellie chimed in, saving them just in time before the conversation became more awkward. Chuck gave Sarah a warm smile and excused himself to the kitchen, following Ellie.

"What can I do to help?" Chuck asked, rubbing his hands together.

"If there was a computer in here, then I'd need your help. I just wanted to talk a minute." Chuck rolled his eyes, preparing for the lecture. "Don't roll your eyes at my Charles Irving. I know where you sleep." With that Chuck gave a huff in resignation. "What are you doing?"

"What d'you mean 'what am I doing'?" He asked indignantly.

'What I mean is, what are your intentions with Sarah?" She folded her arms across her body, giving him a stern look.

"What are you, her father? My 'intentions'? I don't have any intentions. She's a really nice person. I like her and Molly's terrific. I just thought it would be nice to spend some time with them. Plus, I wanted to spread a little… Christmas cheer. Pay it forward. That kind of thing." Chuck shrugged sheepishly.

"Chuck, I see the way you look at her. The way you act toward Molly. You care for both of them, I can see it. I can also see the way they both look at you. You need to think long and hard before you get involved any further. It's not just Sarah you have to worry about hurting." Ellie gave him a serious look.

"Hurting? I have no intentions of hurting anyone. Look, I like them. I like them a lot. But have you seen her? I mean come on. What could someone like her ever really see in me? I mean truly? I have a crappier job than she does, I live in my sister's apartment and I still have action figures on display in my room. And Molly? Hell, I'm barely on solid foods myself, how could I possibly be a positive, adult influence for her?" Chuck ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Are you done feeling sorry for yourself now? All of that is bullshit and you know it. You're scared. You really like her and it scares you. Scares you to get that close to someone again. To be that vulnerable again." Chuck just looked at the ceiling, letting out a sigh. He couldn't argue you with her. Though he didn't think his concerns were bullshit, he couldn't argue with her about being scared. It was just one more insecurity to add to the pile.

"You're a good man, Chuck. The best. I can tell that those two ladies out there see that. What you need to do is be that guy. Just be Chuck. You let her worry about what it is that she needs. That's her decision to make, not yours. If you ask me, it would be a pretty easy decision to make. The question you need to ask yourself, is this what _you _want? Sarah, Molly and all the baggage that goes along with it? Because once you start down that road, there is no easy way back." Chuck just stared at the countertop, Ellie's words playing in his mind. He had flashes of Sarah and Molly at the mall, in line to see Santa and the feeling it gave him. Holding Sarah's hand, despite the awkwardness of it all. The bashful way she sometimes pushed stray hairs behind her ear. The excitement on Molly's face when she ran to hug him. All of these things filled his heart with so much joy and … love that he was hungry, greedy for it. He lifted his gaze to meet Ellie's. He didn't have to say a word. The look in his eyes was enough.

"I know." She smiled at him, then pulled him into a hug. As she pulled away, she held his shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"Just be patient. OK? She may need some time. She has her daughter to think about, and she likely won't want to rush into anything." Chuck nodded his understanding. "Alright. Help me set the table then."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Everyone made their way to the table, Molly sitting at one end with Chuck and Sarah on either side, facing one another. Ellie took the seat beside Sarah and Devon sat at the other end, opposite Molly. The spread on the table was amazing, Ellie outdoing herself yet again. Pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, honey glazed carrots and dinner rolls. Platters and bowls were passed around the table, everyone taking their share. Chuck helped plate food for Molly, looking to Sarah for her approval. She nodded with a smile, appreciative of his thoughtfulness to ask first. Molly grimaced at the carrots but didn't say anything.

"Carrots aren't your favorite, huh?" Chuck asked at just above a whisper. Molly looked at him and shook her head 'No', looking sad.

"The rules are that I have to eat some of them, even if I don't like 'em." She picked at them with her fork, looking less than pleased.

"I see. I see. Well, can I tell you a little secret?" he asked as he bent down a little closer to her. She leaned in toward him, conspiratorially. "They're covered in honey. So they're almost like candy." Chuck used his thumb to point at Ellie, Devon and Sarah. "The grownups don't even realize it. They think it's just eating vegetables." Molly's eyes grew wide at his revelation. Chuck winked at her, sitting up straight in his chair. He had spoken loud enough that the whole table could hear, but they all went along with it, playing ignorant of their conversation. Chuck then took a fork full of carrots and placed them in his mouth. He made a grand gesture of slumping and moaning in satisfaction at how good they tasted. Molly giggled at his exaggerated actions, then took a carrot on her fork and put it in her mouth, mimicking Chuck. The surprised look on her face was priceless. She finished chewing then leaned over to Chuck.

"They DO taste like candy!" She leaned back toward her plate, happily digging into the carrots with fervor. Chuck smiled as he watched her, then lifted his gaze to the others at the table. They had all stopped eating and were watching Chuck and Molly's interaction. Sarah looked especially pleased, a far off look on her face. Chuck cleared his throat, pulling Sarah from her thoughts. He mouthed, "Are you OK?" to her, concerned that he may have done something wrong. The smile that spread across her face reassured him that she was not angry with him.

The remainder of dinner went by uneventfully until dessert came out. Ellie and Devon brought out parfaits, chocolate pudding layered with whipped cream. It was hard to tell who was more excited, Molly or Chuck. As they all dug in, Ellie used this as prime time to grill her brother.

"So, Sarah, did Chuck tell you about his time at Stanford?" Ellie blurted out, surprising everyone at the table. Chuck leveled a glare at his sister.

"El…" he addressed her in a warning tone.

"No. No, he didn't? Stanford, huh? That's impressive," Sarah looked between the siblings, enjoying the little non-verbal feud between them. She settled her focus on Chuck, waiting to hear more.

"Oh yeah. Computer and Electrical Engineering. He was on track to finish early too." Ellie grew quiet after that, finding her parfait quite interesting. Chuck let out a big sigh, shaking his head, clearly not pleased with the direction the conversation was taking.

"Was on track? What d'you mean? Did something happen?" Sarah asked, looking at the people around the table.

"Yeah. That succubus happened," Devon interjected, no small amount of malice in his voice. "She chewed him up and spat him out."

"Oh... So this is the woman, the… one with your roommate?" Sarah asked but winced after, realizing that she was likely adding to the discomfort of the subject.

"That's the one. Jill…" Devon added, his expression soured as he spoke her name.

"I told you never speak her name in this house, Devon," Ellie chided. "Yes. That's the one. I never liked her."

"Yeah, Ellie. I know. Enough with the 'I told ya so's' ok? It's bad enough she wrecked my life, do we have to keep re-hashing it?" Chuck was trying his best to remain calm. While Molly didn't really understand or care, he still didn't want to show any anger in front of her.

"Alright. Alright. But you got past it. You finished your degrees, with distinction no less. You're on your way to bigger and better things, finally leaving that cursed Buy More far behind you. You have plenty to be proud of little brother." Ellie pointed her spoon at him for emphasis. Chuck shrugged with the 'I suppose' expression, taking another bite of parfait.

Sarah glanced between Ellie and Chuck during their exchange. She knew, in vague terms, what had happened in college. Chuck had mentioned how this ...Jill(?) had cheated on him with his roommate. He had confessed that it had messed him up, but from the sounds of it, that was an understatement. How anyone could do something like that to this man was unfathomable. It was akin to kicking puppies or clubbing baby seals. What sort of heartless monster would you have to be to consider such a thing as betraying the love of a man like Chuck? Of course, she didn't really know first hand about what that sort of love would feel like, but the more time she spent with him, she was beginning to get an idea and it both lit a fire within her and frightened her in the same breath.

"So, Sarah, did you go to college or trade schools?" Devon asked in between bites of parfait. Sarah was pulled from her thoughts, shaking herself a bit.

"I did. I went to USC," she managed to get out while trying to swallow some of her dessert.

"Wow. That's a great school. What'd you study?" Chuck asked, giving her all of his attention.

"I double majored too, Public Relations and Spanish with a minor in French." She said it so matter-of-factly, like it was no big deal. Chuck's spoon clattered to the table and then to the floor, his mouth agape. Ellie leaned toward Sarah, whispering in her ear.

"I think you broke him," she snorted. Sarah snickered herself but found his reaction peculiar.

"Everything OK, Chuck?" Sarah finally asked, the zoned out look on his face becoming worrisome. He shook himself out of it, immediately turning red from embarrassment.

"I'm… I'm sorry." He bent down to get his spoon, knocking his head on the table on the way back up. He winced but shook it off. "So… so you have experience with public relations, like marketing and that sort of thing, AND you speak multiple languages?" Chuck's inquiry seemed incredulous.

"Um… yeah. You could say that. Although marketing isn't exactly the same as PR, they're similar."

"Ahhhhhhh," Ellie spoke up, coming to the realization as to why Chuck was so entranced.

"Am I missing something?" Sarah asked, a confused expression on her face as she looked between Chuck and Ellie. Ellie gestured to Chuck, indicating that she was staying out of it.

"Um… Well, I told you that I was looking to publish my own software." She nodded in agreement, so he continued. "The software that I'm trying to publish is a mobile app that is, in essence, a universal translator. Right now it only works with Spanish and French, but Chinese is in beta. It's an app that runs on any phone or tablet and will listen to the words that are spoken and will translate them to the desired language. It'll show the spoken words and then the translated words beneath it, giving the option to read the translation aloud in case the people are not literate. See, Ellie and Devon are doctors and they've spent a lot of time as ER physicians and one of the big issues, in the lower income areas especially, was that many of the hospitals don't have translators on staff, or not enough of them. So that gave me the idea for this app." He shrugged, feeling a bit self-conscious with all the rambling.

"Seriously? That sounds amazing. I mean, there are other translation software options out there, but this sounds like a great idea." Sarah sounded legitimately impressed.

"You're right. There are other translation software options, but my app can take context into consideration. It can adjust the translation based either off GPS location or by a context of your choosing. For example, if the GPS coordinates of the device are in a hospital, it will favor that context for word translations. Or if you're at a restaurant or a church, or... wherever. It can also adjust for dialects given geographic location. More useful when traveling abroad than, say, just around LA. It also permits the user to correct the translation, allowing it to learn, taking the context into consideration, and I'm sorry I'm rambling and I'm gonna shut up now." Chuck covered his mouth to prevent himself from blabbering on any further. Sarah just burst into laughter, holding her stomach from laughing so hard.

"Ooooh, Chuck. You're too funny. Oh my." She paused to catch her breath. She saw Chuck's blush but opted not to draw attention to it. She was actually interested in the app he'd created and wanted to know more. "So if I understand you correctly, you're saying that the program can learn and grow the more people use it?" Chuck's eyes grew wide and he began to reply. However, he failed to remove his hand, so it was utter nonsense. Sarah turned her lips to the side, trying hard not to laugh. He quickly removed his hands and continued.

"Yes. That's absolutely right. It's taken me years to work out the algorithms. They have other applications too, but for now this seemed to be a great need. There's one thing I'm lacking though." He looked a bit apprehensive, like he was afraid to continue. Chuck looked at Ellie, who was smirking. She merely motioned toward Sarah with her head, confusing Sarah even more as she looked between them.

"What? What are you lacking? The suspense is killing me," she teased. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Well… you, it would seem," Chuck confessed. Sarah and Chuck's eyes both shot open. Ellie and Devon both almost choked on their wine. "I mean um… that what I've been looking for is… is you… errr… I mean not 'you' you, but … no, that's not what I meant either...grrr." He put his face in his hands, groaning with exasperation.

"I think what my 'eloquent' brother is trying to say, is that he needs someone who knows something about marketing, or PR in your case, to help him get this off the ground. The fact that you have so much experience with languages could only help matters." Ellie sat back in her chair, taking another sip of wine.

"Yes! That! All that. What she just said," Chuck interjected waving a finger toward Ellie. "I mean… if… if you have some free time to look over what I have…" Chuck trailed off, feeling a bit nervous about asking this of Sarah, but she seemed like she was the perfect person to help him.

"Are you kidding me? I'd love to. That could actually get me some experience in the field I _actually _studied. Maybe we can help each other out. We should get together and you can show me what you've got." Sarah gave him a smile that made her eyes sparkle. He couldn't help but return it in kind.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am. You're a lifesaver. Truly." Chuck's tone became serious as he tried to express to her just how much this meant to him. All his years of hard work could soon be paying off, and he'd have her to thank for it. Still, there was something nagging at him. He didn't know much about her past, well nothing actually. Nothing about Molly's father and nothing about why she wasn't working in her field already.

"Do you mind me asking, why aren't you working in the field you studied?" He took a sip of wine, never taking his focus off of her.

"Um… Well… in college I had interned at a PR firm here in LA. That experience didn't go so well. Let's just say the things my 'mentor' wanted to teach me had nothing to do with my degree." Ellie let out a disgusted groan.

"God. Men are such pigs. Well, present company excluded," she winked. The adults chuckled at that before Sarah continued.

"In my final year of college, I got pregnant." She paused for a second, contemplating how much she should say but opted to just let it go for now. "I sent out tons of résumés and went on a dozen interviews or more, but I suspect that nobody wanted to hire a recent grad with little to no experience and a baby on the way. Then I was introduced to Safe Harbor." Chuck's face nearly went ashen, his mouth dropping in shock or perhaps horror. Sarah was confused for a moment until she realized the connection he may be drawing. Sarah smiled and shook her head. "No, Chuck. Nothing like that. It was at a baby expo at the convention center. They had a booth setup there to share information about their services. There happened to be a bench right beside their booth and being six months pregnant at the time, I needed to rest my feet. I struck up a conversation with the women at the booth, making comments on how I thought some of their promotional material could be altered to have a greater impact. It turns out that one of them was the director of the organization. She offered me a job right on the spot. The job ended up being more event planning than actual PR or even marketing work, but with a baby on the way I needed a job in a bad kinda way. They've been really great to work with. I got to work from home a lot when Molly was little, so it was really a perfect job at the time. I've been there six years now and it's great, don't get me wrong. It's just that with them being a non-profit, their salaries aren't that competitive." Sarah shrugged with a half smile.

"That's great that you were able to be home with Molly. That they were so willing to be flexible. Now that Molly is getting older, are you interested in looking elsewhere?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah, I think so. With Molly in all-day Kindergarten, I'll have more time that I could spend in an office, if need be. Plus, with the experience I'll get from working with Chuck, it will look even better on my résumé, add some diversity." Sarah smiled at Chuck, taking a sip of her wine.

"This is awesome, you guys!" Devon chimed in. "It's a good thing you bumped into each other." Chuck and Sarah gazed into each other's eyes from across the table as they played Devon's words over in their heads. Awesome, indeed.

"Who's ready to start decorating the tree?" Ellie interrupted, hoping to get the evening's festivities under way.

"We… we get to decorate your tree?" Molly asked, bubbling over with excitement. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Come on," Ellie walked over and took Molly's hand, escorting her to the tree.

"Mommy, we get to decorate a tree this year!" she exclaimed. Ellie looked at the little girl, then glanced at Sarah and then to Chuck, who caught her gaze. They exchanged a look of disbelief and heartbreak. Ellie tried to mask her reaction, putting on a smile and turning her attention back to Molly.

"I heard Sweetie," Sarah replied, trying to sound just as excited. She crossed her arms, covering her mouth with her clenched fist. Chuck could see that she was trying to hide some emotions, putting on a brave face for her daughter. Chuck stepped up beside her and gently placed a hand on her lower back.

"Hey. You ok?" he whispered. Sarah took in a ragged breath, closing her eyes at the sensation. When she opened them, tears were forming as she shook her head.

"I haven't been able to get her a tree for the past couple years. Things have been really tight." She pressed her fist against her mouth a little harder, trying to hold back a sob. "She's missed out on so much. I feel like I keep failing her." Sarah choked on the last words, unable to hold back the tears.

"Ellie, we'll be right back," Chuck called into the living room as he pulled Sarah towards the back hallway. He quickly escorting her into his room, closing the door behind them. She finally allowed herself to let go and sobbed into her hands. Not having much experience with crying women, Chuck just did what he felt in his heart to be the right thing. He stepped in front of her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, gently pulling her close to him. Instead of resisting, she leaned her head against his chest, accepting his offer of comfort. They stood there for a few minutes until she was able to stop crying and pull herself together. She placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed herself away, just enough so she could talk with him. Chuck reached the box of tissues from atop his dresser and offered her some. She chuckled and took several, wiping the tears and likely smeared makeup from her face.

"I'm sorry about that. I don't normally -"

"Hey, you don't have anything to apologize for. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it's been to raise her on your own. The sacrifices you've had to make, that you've both had to make. But in just the short time I've known you two, I can see that she's a smart, funny, happy little girl that has a mother that loves her more than anything, that will do anything for her. You haven't failed that little girl, Sarah. You are an amazing mother and role model." Sarah took in a ragged breath, tears starting to flow again, his words were so touching.

"As amazing as you are, there's something else I've come to know since I've met you." Chuck looked into her eyes, hoping that she could feel the sincerity of his words. She returned his gaze, hanging on his every word.

"W-what's that?" she asked, her voice shaky from emotion.

"You aren't in this alone anymore." She gave him a look of confusion and disbelief. "You have friends now." He looked over his shoulder at the door and pointed, turning his head back to look at her." You have a family now, to help you and support you. You. Are not. Alone." He placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her to break down again. This time it was she that moved into him. Resting her head on his shoulder and hugging him. Chuck was taken a bit by surprise but wrapped his arms around her, holding her close until she was done.

When the crying stopped, she still held him, having longed for this comforting feeling for so long. She felt … safe. For the first time in a very long time she didn't feel quite so hopeless. She didn't feel like she was walking a tightrope with no net. She took a deep breath, relishing in the feeling. At that moment, reality came flooding back. She was taking advantage of Chuck's kindness by still standing here. Plus, she needed to get back to her daughter. She slowly pushed herself away from him, feeling a bit embarrassed about all the crying. True to form, Chuck was there with a tissue and a smile, setting her at ease.

"Thank you Chuck. For… for everything. I… I don't know what to say. You've been so kind to us. I should probably get back out there. I'm sure they're wondering what happened to us." Sarah finishing wiping her eyes as she chuckled at the vision of Chuck. "I'm sorry. You might want to change your shirt." She pointed out the huge wet spots where her tears had soaked his shirt.

"Yeah. I should probably change, huh? If you need, the bathroom is the last door on the right at the end of the hall. I'll just change my shirt and meet you back out there." She nodded in agreement and left.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

After freshening up, Sarah returned to the living room to see the progress on the tree. Ellie glanced at Sarah and could tell that she had been crying. She didn't ask, but gave her a questioning look. Sarah just gave her a smile in return and nodded. Ellie knew that her brother must have had some hand in vanquishing some ghosts because Sarah seemed to be happier, lighter.

"Mommy, look! I did all the ones on the bottom part. See?" Molly was so proud as she showed off her her mother.

'You did an amazing job. Have you been a good listener for Miss Ellie?" The little girl nodded emphatically, grabbing for another ornament to hang.

"She's an angel, Sarah." Ellie beamed, squeezing Sarah's wrist. The two women shared a smile, watching Molly hang the ornaments.

"Sorry guys. I hope I didn't miss too much." Chuck entered the living room wearing a clean shirt.

"Is that a new shirt?" Ellie inquired, sounding suspicious.

"Oh yeah. I must have gotten something on it from dinner. You know me. Always making a mess." Ellie put two and two together, realizing the crying and clean shirt must be related.

"Wow, Molly. Look at you. You did an amazing job." The little girl's face lit up at Chuck's praise.

"Thanks! Miss Ellie helped me." Ellie grinned and handed Molly another ornament.

"Say Ellie, I found one more ornament. Maybe Molly and Sarah could put it on?" Ellie gave him a quizzical look, as did Sarah. He smiled shyly as he pulled a small gift bag from behind his back, handing it to Sarah.

"Chuck. What… what did you do? You didn't have to…" she trailed off, feeling at a loss for words.

"Please. Open it." He nodded his head toward the package. Everyone circled around to watch Sarah open the bag. She pulled out the item, carefully wrapped in tissue paper. She gingerly unwrapped it and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Hey, that's me and Mommy!" Molly exclaimed when she saw the item. Sarah held it up for all to see. It was a custom Christmas ornament that served as a picture frame . Chuck had found a picture of Sarah and Molly on her social media pages and printed it out on photo quality paper. The ceramic picture frame ornament had garland and holly around the outside edge with the words 'Sarah & Molly - First Bartowski Christmas' written neatly around the frame.

Chuck could see a tear streak down Sarah's face, but the sniffle came from elsewhere. He looked to see Ellie in tears, sniffling as she bit her knuckle. She noticed Chuck's gaze and punched him in the shoulder. He just rubbed his arm, giving her a pained, quizzical look.

"You made me cry you big jerk." She then leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment and whispered so only he could hear. "Aces, Charles. You're aces." Chuck gave her a quick side hug.

"Mommy, you should hang it on the tree. Come on." The little girl pulled her mother up and lead her to the tree. Sarah stood in front of the tree and took a cleansing breath to collect herself, her emotions running away with her. She hung it from a branch right in the center, with Molly's approval. They stepped back to admire their work as Devon plugged in the lights. Everyone let out an 'Oooo' as they stared in wonder.

"It's so beautiful. Maybe we can get one some year, Mommy." Chuck cleared his throat trying to derail the emotions that statement was causing.

"I don't know about Ellie, but I'd love it if… if you guys would spend Christmas with us. You know… make this your Christmas tree too." Chuck looked hopefully at Sarah. "If you don't have any plans that is. It's not a big affair, we just sit around in our pajamas and watch old movies after we open presents. I… I think that ornament would look out of place if you weren't here."

"Can we Mommy? Please?" Molly pleaded with her mother, pulling on the hem of her shirt.

"No. No… Molly we… we really shouldn't ..." Sarah trailed off. This was all just too much. The emotions of the evening were overwhelming. They had just met her and Molly and they were already involving them in their family traditions, like they'd known them for years. She just couldn't keep from staring at the beautiful tree and the amazing ornament that Chuck had gotten them. This kind, wonderful man had gone out of his way to make them feel welcome, even after only having just spent a few of hours with them. Her head was telling her she shouldn't, but her heart was screaming at her to not pass up this opportunity. She looked down and saw the devastated look on Molly's face and it was like a dagger to the heart. She wanted so much to give Molly a special Christmas and here it was, and she was denying her little girl this chance.

Ellie could see the conflict in Sarah. The way she stared at the tree with longing, her reaction to her heartbroken little girl. She walked up to Sarah and placed her hand in the center of her back. Sarah turned toward her, eyes glassy and her lips pulled tight, trying to keep her emotions under control.

"I… I don't … I don't know what to say." She choked out the words, feeling overwhelmed by the generosity of this family. Ellie stepped in front of her, taking Sarah's hand in hers.

"Say 'Yes'. We would love to have you. When I look at this tree now, it just wouldn't feel like Christmas if you guys weren't here to celebrate with us. This is 'our' tree," Ellie gestured in a circle to include everyone. Sarah just sniffed and nodded her head at Ellie, not trusting her words as the tears escaped. Ellie pulled her into one of her signature hugs, threatening to squeeze the life from her.

"Awesome!" Devon whispered as the women continued to hug. Chuck scooped up Molly as she jumped with excitement, taking her to the tree so she could see the new ornament better. They all just stood and basked in the glow of the Christmas tree. 'Their' Christmas tree.

* * *

A/N2: Ok. This box of tissues is empty. While I get more, talk amongst yourselves. I'll be back soon with another chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: OK. So dinner at the Bartowski's was a rather emotional affair. Let's catch up with our characters and see how they're fairing now.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

* * *

Chapter 3

Chuck carried a sleeping Molly to the car as Sarah lead the way. The evening had been an emotional roller coaster, but in the end, it had been one of the best nights of Sarah's life. These amazing people, that she'd met purely by happenstance, had already changed her life for the better. True, she still had her financial troubles, but there was a chance to get some good work experience to pad her resume. The most important revelation had been from Chuck. She wasn't alone anymore. She didn't have to do all of this alone. She wasn't sure exactly what all of that meant in practice, but she felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Looking over her shoulder, she could see Chuck, gingerly holding her daughter as if she were the most precious thing in the world to him. It stirred the butterflies in her stomach, a lump forming in her throat. She opened the back door of her car, allowing Chuck to gently place Molly in her booster seat, never stirring from sleep. Sarah buckled her in and quietly closed the car door. He then stood back a few steps, his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels. He was biting on his lower lip, clearly nervous or feeling awkward. She thought it was cute until she realized she had been biting her lip as well. Maybe he was feeling those same butterflies.

"Thank you so much for having us for dinner." Sarah took a couple of steps to close the distance between them. She fidgeted with her keys, nervous about looking into his eyes, worried about what she might see there. "About the other things…"

"Hey, you don't need to-"

"No, Chuck. I do need to," she interrupted, capturing his gaze. She paused a moment, searching his deep, chocolate eyes. "I don't even know how to start. I… I was feeling so lost and alone, overwhelmed. I'd resigned myself to the fact that I had to do what was best for Molly. I didn't want to bring a man into her life, a man that would just walk away and leave her… leave us. I couldn't put myself through that again, and I sure as hell wouldn't subject her to that." Sarah dropped her gaze to her hands, still fidgeting with her car keys.

"You need to protect her. I ...I understand." The dejection and disappointment in his voice was clear, though he tried to hide it. Trying to do the right thing, say the right thing, no matter how painful it may be.

"No. No, I don't think you do." Sarah lifted her gaze to meet his. She could see that sadness there. He wore his heart on his sleeve, unable to hide his feelings no matter how hard he tried. It was likely that transparency that lead her to trust him so easily. She took his right wrist, pulling his hand from his pocket to hold. "Chuck, all of that went right out the window when I met you. When you started to talk to Molly about love and genies, I knew. I knew that you would not be that man. The man that would hurt that little girl. The adoration in your eyes when she holds your hand…" She trailed off, shaking her head, unable to hold his gaze and releasing his hand. "Then you opened your home, your family, your… your heart to us, so effortlessly." She found her nerve to look at him again, taking in a deep breath. She chuckled to herself as she continued. "I just… I want to reach out and … and touch you..." She absentmindedly reached up and brushed her fingers across his cheek. "... just to make sure you're real." Chuck closed his eyes, leaning his cheek into her touch, reveling in the sensation.

Sarah watched his reaction and it stirred something powerful within her, causing her to throw caution to the wind. She quickly closed the distance and pressed her lips to his. Her hand still on his cheek, the kiss lasted for what felt like hours. It was soft, sweet and chaste, and it made her legs tremble as if they were melting.

Once Chuck's initial shock subsided, he placed his hands on her sides, holding her but not pulling. He knew that she was tentative about getting close to someone, wanting to protect Molly. He wanted to give her the space to take things at her own pace. What Sarah had said about him was true. He knew he was not 'that man' either. He couldn't explain it but he just knew that he could never leave them or let anything hurt them. He thought he had felt strongly for Jill back in college, to the point where he believed that he might have loved her. What he felt now, what he felt for Sarah was so deep, so visceral, that there was absolutely no comparison. It blew his mind that he could feel this deeply this quickly. He didn't want to try to name it, to muddy the feelings by trying to prescribe a label to it. He just knew that at this moment, with this woman, he was happier than he'd ever been.

He slid his hands from her sides to cup her cheeks, resting his hands on her jawline, his fingers caressing the base of her neck. He wasn't sure which of them let out a moan and he didn't care. Moan? Hell, he wanted to shout from the rooftops. The most amazing woman he had ever known had not only spent the evening with him, but was now kissing him. He was looking down at cloud nine. After more than thirty seconds, she slowly moved away, pulling on his bottom lip ever so slightly in her retreat. Her eyes were slow to open, as were his, both savoring the moment.

Breathlessly, Chuck let out a "Whoa", trying to shake himself from his daze, his cheeks flushed. Sarah couldn't help but blush at his reaction, though she had to admit she was feeling flushed herself. She gave him a wry smile, catching his gaze.

"Was… was that alright? Not too soon?" She looked apprehensive, almost wincing at herself.

"Al-Alright? Are you kidding?! That was... beyond amazing. I … I don't know about too soon. Is it too soon to ask if you could do that again?" He blushed at his own question, but his expression was so full of boyish enthusiasm that Sarah couldn't help but snort. The smile lit up her face, making her eyes sparkle in the glow of the street lights. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him another kiss, this time a little shorter but with more passion, more hope. Chuck let out a whimper, causing Sarah to smile into the kiss, her shoulders bouncing as she tried to hold back a laugh. When they separated, Chuck was quick to respond.

"You can laugh all you like, but I'm not even a little bit embarrassed about that. I imagine you're used to having that effect on men." Chuck gave a shy shrug, putting his hands in his pockets.

"No, I can safely say that's a first for me," she smirked.

"Well, you're just gonna have to get used to it then." His eyes grew wide when he realized what he'd implied. Sarah twisted her lips, trying to hold back a huge grin. Before he could spiral out of control, she jumped in to save him.

"I think I'm OK with that." She gave him a shy smile before ducking her head. From the look on his face she thought she may have really broken him this time. "I should get her home. Thanks again for everything. I'll call you." Chuck could only smile and wave, words seemed to escape him.

Neither of them had noticed that Molly's eyes were open, witnessing the events that had just unfolded before her. She gave a small fist pump and let out a quiet 'Yes!' before feigning sleep again.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chuck watched the tail lights of Sarah's car disappear into the night before turning to head back into the apartment. Lost in his thoughts, he cleaned up the kitchen, doing the dishes. He replayed the kiss over and over in his mind, the feel of her lips on his, the unique taste of her still lingered. It had been years since he'd kissed anyone. The few dates Ellie had set him up on had all ended badly. So badly, in fact, that Ellie had finally given up on trying to fix him up with any of her friends from work. He hadn't been in the right frame of mind, especially after… Jill.

During the middle of his sophomore year at Stanford, his roommate, Bryce, had introduced him to Jill. She was friends with Angela, a girl that Bryce was interested in getting to know more ...'intimately'. Angela had agreed to go out on a date, but only if Bryce found a date for Jill as well. Chuck had quite a bit of experience being Bryce's wing man, though it largely consisted of watching out for jaded ex-lovers or helping Bryce to remember the name of the 'girl of the moment'. This was the first time that Bryce had ever asked him to double-date with him.

Chuck had never dated, especially in high school. High school had been a life lesson in how cruel people could be, especially to those deemed as being 'different'. Being a tall, lanky, and generally awkward,nerd, had only managed to get him teased and bullied. He resigned himself to a celibate lifestyle, spending all of his time with his few friends, namely Morgan, and his own nerdy pursuits. Working at the Buy More had pulled him out of his shell somewhat, forcing him to interact with people. He found that under the auspices of customer service, it was easier to talk to people, hiding behind the button-down shirt, tie and pocket protector, like a costume hiding his mild mannered alter ego. Without his Nerd Herd uniform, his low self-esteem and lack of experience made it difficult to meet or talk to women. So when Bryce wanted him to actually go on a date, and presumably talk with a woman, Chuck had been petrified. His roommate assured him that it was just a formality, and that Chuck wouldn't really have to do much other than just show up.

They met Angela and Jill at a casual restaurant just off campus. When he first saw her at the restaurant bar, Chuck was pleasantly surprised. With her long, dark hair, and equally dark eyes, she was attractive yet unassuming. Throughout dinner, Angela and Bryce lead most of the conversation, though Jill seemed quite comfortable interjecting. Chuck, however, quietly followed the conversations, only answering questions directed at him. Once dinner was finished, Angela and Bryce excused themselves to the restroom, leaving Jill and Chuck sitting in awkward silence. After about five minutes they both received a text message. Apparently Angela and Bryce had somewhere 'urgent' they needed to be and ditched them at the restaurant. Luckily for Chuck, all of the checks had been settled up before they left. Chuck had to admit that this was not the first time he'd been left at a bar while Bryce pursued nocturnal activities with a woman (or women).

It turned out that Angela was much like Bryce, so Jill and Chuck were able to commiserate on their shared experiences. They talked quite a bit that night and over the following weeks. After almost a month they started dating, though Chuck was a little oblivious as to when it actually happened. They had been a couple for almost a year when he began to notice the changes. She became more distant and much less affectionate. He attributed it to a heavy class load, but he continued to dote on her as he always had. In hindsight, he realized that he was probably trying too hard, maybe going overboard with trying to appease her, make her happy. He didn't see her taking advantage of that until after it was all over.

For six more months they dated and for six more months Chuck tried to be everything for Jill, do anything he could to make her happy. He never saw the warning signs Whether he was too naive or too consumed in their relationship, he wasn't sure. When he returned to his room early that fateful day, due to a class cancellation, all was made clear. Quite literally laid out before him, on his bed. Now he knew why she had long lost any desire to be intimate with him. Knowing that Bryce was fulfilling that need, how could he compete with that.

Not only had he lost the girl he thought he loved, but he lost one of his best friends, one of his only friends. Jill showed little remorse, only giving a halfhearted apology. She never spoke to him again after that day, as if the past year and a half had meant nothing. He'd been crushed.

Bryce tried to apologize several times, but his act was unforgivable. Perhaps if it had been purely in the heat of the moment, but this … this had been a premeditated, months long affair. The worst was that he he'd been able to look Chuck in the eye and call him 'friend' the entire time, without so much as batting an eyelash. After losing his parents, this was the single worst day of his life.

Chuck stood staring at the Christmas tree, the hundreds of white lights dancing off the glass ornaments. Prominently displayed in the center was the ornament that he had given Sarah, the picture of her and Molly, smiling so brightly. He slowly walked up to it, running his fingers over the smooth porcelain finish of the picture frame ornament. What was he doing? How was this going to be any different from Jill? He hadn't been enough for her, apparently he wasn't good boyfriend material. In just the few days he'd known Sarah, it was clear that she was so much better a person than Jill ever was. If he wasn't enough for the likes of Jill, how would he ever hope to be enough for someone as amazing as Sarah Walker. But it wasn't just Sarah, was it? There was a wonderful little girl in the mix that he needed to consider. Sarah would want to find someone that was suitable for Molly too. While Chuck had aspirations, he was still just a grunt at the Buy More, living in his sister's apartment. What did he possibly have to offer them?

He played the events of the evening over in his mind, particularly the exchange that happened in his bedroom. He closed his eyes and could smell the lavender and mint from her shampoo. It both soothed and excited him in the same breath. In direct opposition were the sounds of her sobbing and sniffling, losing her battle with her emotions. It broke his heart to see her like that. She had opened up to him, shared her insecurities with him. Jill had certainly never shared anything like that with him. To see Sarah so vulnerable made him think, if just for a moment, that maybe she wasn't so different from him. Lord knows he had more than his share of vulnerabilities and insecurities. It wasn't that he enjoyed seeing her so upset, it was just that she seemed more… human, less like the angel on a pedestal he seemed to put her on. He let out a long sigh, trying to clear his head. Ellie was right, he needed to let Sarah make the decision that was best for her and Molly. He selfishly wanted that to be him, but he was having a hard time seeing how that could be possible.

"Stop it," came an all too familiar voice from behind him. Chuck didn't turn or open his eyes. She knew him so well, it was rather scary sometimes.

"Stop what?" he asked, knowing full well what she was going to say.

"Stop brooding over the past. Let me guess, 'I'm not good enough', 'I don't have anything to offer them'? Does that about sum it up? I thought we already talked about this?" she asked, sounding rather irritated. He couldn't keep his shoulders from slumping as he sighed in resignation. He opened his eyes but couldn't turn to face her.

"I have no idea what I'm doing. I screwed up my only other relationship so badly. I… I can't explain it, but I… I care more for Sarah than I ever did about… I can't screw this up too. Part of me aches so much to be with her, but the other part is so scared that she'll come to realize that I'm not enough for her either. I … I don't think I could come back from that. El, I don't know what to do."

"OK. First off, don't you dare think for one second that what happened with that skank Jill was your fault. That bitch wouldn't know a good thing if it jumped up and bit her in her flat ass." Ellie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Sure you were naive, and maybe you didn't see things that you probably should have. You made yourself believe that you couldn't do better than her, so you ignored it all. You placed all the blame on yourself, and that's bullshit. She was the one to blame, not you. You were too good for her Chuck, and that's a fact. You're an amazing, loving person. I know it, your friends know it. If you let her, I'm sure that Sarah will see it too. In fact… I'm pretty sure she already does, if the way she kissed you was any indication." Chuck spun around to face her, his eyes wide with surprise and perhaps a little embarrassment.

"What? I'm nosy. It's what I do." Ellie shrugged with a wry smile, not looking a bit remorseful. "Look, little brother. What you did for them tonight, the carrots thing with Molly, the … 'talk' you had with Sarah, and that ornament. That… all of that was just you being… you. All part of the 'Chuck Bartowski Experience'." Ellie made a gesture as if seeing his name in lights on some marquee.

"I know you have these demons in your head telling you that you're not good enough, and no matter how many times I tell you to the contrary, I can't make you believe it. The only one that can slay those demons is you, Chuck. Maybe if you trust in Sarah, she can help you fight that battle." Ellie crossed the distance between them and gave him a big hug. "She's a good one Chuck. Just be you. That's it. Just be you and I promise it will be more than enough. Now... we both need to get to bed. Come on." Ellie pulled away and they turned out the lights, along with the Christmas tree and headed to their respective rooms. Just as Ellie was about to open her door, Chuck called out.

"El?" She turned around to look at him. "Thanks. You always seem to know exactly what I need to hear." She just smiled and nodded, both of them heading off to bed.

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Sarah watched through the rear view mirror as Chuck slowing shrank as she drove away. She licked her lips, the taste of him still lingering. Admittedly, it had been a long time since she had been kissed, but she was certain it had never felt like that. The events of the evening played over in her mind as she drove to their apartment. The laughing, the crying… the kissing. Dammit. She knew in her head that the kiss was a mistake, but her body, her heart refused to believe that. She couldn't just jump into a relationship with someone, especially where Molly was concerned.

Sarah had been hurt so badly in her last relationship. The thought of subjecting Molly to something like that was not something she even wanted to consider. She couldn't allow just anyone to insert themselves into their lives, then leave a gaping hole when they decided they'd had enough. Molly was getting to the age where she was asking more questions, and although Sarah had glossed over the subject, her little girl wanted to know why she didn't have a father. How could she ever tell her the truth. How could she tell her little girl that the man Sarah thought she loved, the man that was her biological father, didn't want anything to do with either of them?

She had met Jared at USC during her junior year. He was older and, at the time she thought, more mature. They had met at the Mean Bean coffee shop near campus, both frequently studying there into the early morning. He was finishing medical school at USC and was a very passionate and ambitious man. He was also quite charming, which was what had initially gotten her attention. After a couple of weeks of late night studying and talking, they started dating. Jared jumped into everything with both feet, throwing caution to the wind. Their relationship was no different, escalating quickly, largely at his urging, and they moved in together after two months. They both had very busy schedules but still made time for each other. As their relationship continued, he became more and more consumed with finishing med school and starting his career after that. Jared had never been a truly affectionate person, but then again, neither had she. She could never remember her father being affectionate, and found it hard to remember her mother, so she just resigned herself to the fact that this was just the way things were.

Jared had finished med school and was weighing his options from all of the offers he had lined up. At the same time, she had gotten an internship at a prestigious PR firm. When she quickly discovered that her mentor only had one thing in mind, she quit. Jared's only comment was 'You're an attractive woman and he's a powerful man. What did you expect?' That was the first warning sign that she failed to heed. He became more and more distant as his career decision loomed. It hadn't been but a month later when Sarah discovered that she was pregnant. It was definitely unplanned and more than a little unexpected. Initially, she was terrified and confused, and when she brought the news to Jared she was mortified. He declared then that he was taking a position at the Royal London Hospital and would be leaving in two weeks. He, in no uncertain terms, refused to have anything to do with the situation, claiming that it was her problem to deal with and that he had career plans that didn't involve being tied down with 'a kid and it's mother'. He even went so far as to suggest that she terminate the pregnancy. It was at that moment that she realized that she wasn't confused anymore. She was no less terrified, but she knew that she was keeping this baby. She swore to herself she would show her child all the love she had missed as a child and be there for her as she wished her own mother had.

He moved out of the apartment, following all of his belongings that she had thrown out of the front door. For two days she cried in her apartment, completely alone. She didn't mourn the ending of their relationship so much as feeling so angry and ashamed for allowing herself to fall into this situation. She had no idea what she would do with a baby, barely having the means to support herself at the moment. Her father now gone and her mother estranged since she was a child, the only person that she could confide in was her friend Carina. While not the best choice for 'heart to heart' conversations, she was at least able to give Sarah the boost she needed to get back on her feet and work toward finishing her degree.

Before Jared left for London, he had papers drawn up absolving himself of any parental responsibility. After reading them over carefully, Sarah happily signed them, glad that she would never have any dealings with him ever again. Yes, the child would be without a father, but in this case, it was for the best. If this was what she could expect from men, then she wanted no part of them. Ever since then, it had served her well. That was, until now.

Sarah tried to convince herself that she didn't need anyone in her life except for Molly. Keeping herself closed off was the safest way to ensure that nobody could ever hurt her or her daughter again. Certainly it was lonely, but she had Molly and her work, so she devoted herself to both. When Chuck stumbled into her life, everything got turned upside down. Here was this man that went against everything she thought she knew about men. He was genuinely kind, thoughtful and had an enormous capacity for caring. He had managed to break through all of her walls without her realizing it, and it terrified her more than a little.

Once parked outside her apartment, she shut off the car and worked to extricate Molly from her booster seat without waking her. Sarah got her daughter inside and laid her in bed, beginning to take off her dress. Molly sat up, partly awake, and aided her mother in changing into her pajamas. After using the bathroom and brushing her teeth, Sarah tucked her sleepy little girl into bed. She sat on the edge of her daughters' bed, smoothing her hair back in the faint glow of her night light.

"I like Chuck, Mommy," the little girl confessed. She opened her eyes to look up at her mother. Sarah smile down at her, caressing her cheek. "You like him too, don't you?" She gave Sarah her sad puppy dog eyes. Sarah was apprehensive about sharing too much with Molly just yet, so she tried to play things down.

"Sure. He's very nice." Sarah conceded, nodding her head. Molly didn't seem to accept that answer, pursing her lips. "What?"

"I… I saw you two kissing… when I was in the car." Sarah's eyes grew wide with surprise and shock. She wasn't sure how to explain this to Molly. How would she take it? She had never seen Sarah with a man before, in any context, let alone in a kiss.

"Baby, I'm sorry you had to -" Sarah began, rushing to set her daughter at ease.

"It was like in… in Tangled. You know, when Rapunzel kissed Eugene? You looked happy, just like them Mommy." Sarah fought to hold back the tears that threatened to escape. Leave it to her daughter, the one who notices absolutely everything. She couldn't lie, that kiss did make her happy. Far happier than she thought she had a right to be. She'd fought for so long to protect herself, protect her daughter, and here she was, just days after meeting this man, kissing him. Was she that desperate for companionship? No, that was a terrible thought. If she were truly desperate, she could do far worse than Chuck. In fact, she couldn't really imagine finding anyone better. It wasn't like he was the enemy after all. Since the moment they met, he'd been nothing but warm and kind. He never asked for anything and most importantly, he treated Molly like a princess. When most men flashed a smile or offered a flattering remark, there was always the clear motive behind it. But with Chuck, he had shown her nothing but respect. It was all so foreign to her, she found herself at a loss. Then her fear that Molly wouldn't understand was thrown right out the window.

"Yeah, Baby. I was happy. Now, get some sleep. It's late. I love you." She placed a kiss on Molly's head, tucking her into her covers.

"Love you, Mommy." She snuggled into her pillow as Sarah stood and crossed the room to leave.

"Hey, Mommy?" the little girl called out. Sarah hummed at her in response, awaiting her question.

"Can Chuck come over some time and watch Tangled with us?" Sarah gave an amused snort and shook her head.

"We'll see. Now, go to sleep, you little turkey." Molly let out a small giggle as Sarah closed the door.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

After his conversation with Ellie the other night, Chuck spent half that night, and every night since, lying awake, thinking about Sarah, especially that kiss. He began to realize that she was right. He still wasn't so sure that he would ever be enough for her and Molly, but what he did know was that they made him happy. Happier than he'd ever been, really. He was just going to keep being himself and just take it one day at a time. If he was only destined to be a friend, he would have to be OK with that, being the best friend he could be for them. At least he could still have them in his life. He made a conscious choice to allow himself to be happy. And in doing so, Chuck was nearly dancing around the Nerd Herd desk, going about his normal duties while absentmindedly singing a Christmas carol.

_"Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin'?_

_In the lane, snow is glistenin'_

_A beautiful sight_

_We're happy tonight_

_Walker in a winter wonderland..."_

"I feel honored to have made it into a Christmas carol," came a voice from behind him at the counter. Chuck jumped, nearly launching a pile of invoices into the air.

"Dah! Wow. H-Hi there. You're uh… there, um, here. You're here. Wh-what are you doing here?" Sarah was trying to hold back her laughter at his stammering and obvious embarrassment. She wasn't sure if he was always this way or if it was just with her. Maybe he was as nervous about things as she was? If that was the case, it was a little reassuring to know she wasn't alone in that.

"I was working from home and the black and cyan ink ran out in my printer, so here we are." Sarah shrugged.

"Hi Chuck!" Molly interjected, waving over the counter, the tips of her fingers just barely visible.

"Did you… did you hear that?" Chuck cupped his hand to his ear, pretending to listen intently. "That… that sounded almost like… like a 'Miss Molly Walker'. But that can't be. I don't see her anywhere." He shielded his eyes from the fluorescent lights, peering around the store. He could hear her start to giggle as she emphatically began waving her hands in the air.

"I'm right here, Chuck! Down here!" Chuck gasped in faux surprise, as if finally noticing her.

"There you are! I thought I heard you." He waved at Molly just as emphatically as she had been, letting out a small chuckle. He turned his gaze to Sarah, whose smile and glimmering eyes nearly took his breath away.

"Hey! It's really good to see you both. I was planning on going down to see Lou on my lunch break, since I haven't been there for a while, but since you guys are here, I could take you guys to lunch somewhere. If you're not too busy that is." Chuck held up his hands in apology. Sarah shrugged when a loud voice came from behind them.

"Chuck! Where have you been? Are you seeing someone else? You're seeing someone else aren't you? I knew it. I thought we had something Chuck. I thought I was your one and only hook up. I named one of my babies after you, Chuck!" Chuck turned ashen white, his mouth agape. He started waving his hands frantically, looking between a fuming Sarah and a short, angry brunette.

"W-wait. N-no. No. It's not… it's not like that. Lou, no, um, Sarah, I … I can explain." Chuck was in full meltdown, trying to talk with both women at once. He held up a finger to each woman, trying to get them to wait.

"Lou, I was just now telling Sarah here, how I was planning to come down to see you at lunch today," Chuck said, trying to talk slowly and calmly.

"This is Lou?" Sarah asked indignantly, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, but..." Chuck started, Sarah rolled her eyes, anger rising within her. "No, it's not what you think. Lou owns the deli here in the strip mall. I was going to go buy a sandwich from her. Not 'see her' see her." Chuck was pleading with Sarah to listen to reason.

It was now clear to Lou that there was something going on between Chuck and this 'Sarah', who she had initially thought was just a customer. She enjoyed trying to embarrass Chuck, he was such an easy target. She didn't want to get him into this sort of trouble though, so she opted to let him off the hook. She let out the laugh she had been holding back, garnering a stare from both of them.

"I'm sorry, Chuck. I thought she was a customer." Lou held out her hand to Sarah, who looked at it skeptically." Please, I'm sorry. I just like to give Chuck a hard time. He gets embarrassed so easily. He hasn't been by my shop recently, so when I had to come over to get some more toner for my antiquated fax machine, I thought I'd seize the opportunity." Lou shrugged with an apologetic look on her face. Sarah relented and took her hand, shaking it.

"And who is this beautiful young lady?" Lou asked, turning her attention to Molly.

"I'm Molly," she confessed holding her hand out to shake as she had seen them do moments ago. Lou got an 'Awww' look on her face and shook the little girl's hand.

"It's lovely to meet you Molly. I'm Lou."

"Do you and Chuck have babies?" Molly asked matter-of-factly. Chuck nearly choked on his own tongue while Lou snorted. Sarah wasn't quite sure how to react given the situation.

"Oh, no, Sweetie. I own a restaurant where I make up new kinds of sandwiches. I call them my 'babies'. Chuck's a good friend and likes to eat at my restaurant, so I named a sandwich after him. 'The Chuck'." She glanced between Sarah and Chuck, "I don't have any real babies, Chuck's or otherwise." Lou stood up and looked between Chuck and Sarah again, turning to Chuck with a question.

"Is uh, Sarah your … girlfriend?" Lou inquired, trying to figure out the dynamic between them.

"Ye-uh, um…" Chuck looked at Sarah, but didn't have a clear answer. Sure, they had kissed last night and he desperately wanted it to be true, but they hadn't really talked about it. He was scared to push this too much, heeding Ellie's advice to take it slow. He looked into Sarah's eyes, searching, trying to find an answer.

Sarah was taken aback by the question and immediately looked at Chuck to gauge his response. He looked a bit lost, but when their eyes met, she could see something there. Hope maybe. She couldn't say they were just friends. After their kiss last night, they were beyond that point. When she played the words over in her mind, she had to admit she kind of liked the sound of it. Perhaps a part of her wanted to stake a claim in front of this 'Lou' woman. Regardless of the reason, she spoke up.

"Yes. I'm his girlfriend." The corners of her mouth turned up, giving him a wry smile. Chuck couldn't help but beam with pride, the smile reaching his eyes. "Yeah? Um.. yeah. Yeah. This is … Sarah. My girlfriend." He said it with such warmth, even Sarah was taken aback. They could hear Molly giggle with excitement, but she was trying so hard to use her manners and not interrupt the adults that were talking.

"Wow. Congratulations. I never thought I'd see the day when someone would win the heart of Chuck Bartowski." The words seemed sincere, but there was a tinge of something there that Sarah couldn't put her finger on. Jealousy perhaps?

"You three should come down to my place for lunch. On the house. It's the least I can do. Then you could taste Chuck for yourself." Sarah's eyes went wide, then Lou's followed suit when she realized how that sounded. "Uh… 'Chuck' the sandwich or, ya know, any sandwich you want really." A look was exchanged between the two women, some unspoken understanding. Chuck was largely oblivious, only happy that he had survived the near fatal ordeal moments ago.

"That's very generous of you Lou. I'll defer to Sarah. I'm not certain what her and Molly's plans were for lunch," Chuck admitted, looking at Sarah.

"Well, we came to buy some ink for my printer at home, but … that was sort of an excuse to come to see you and take you to lunch," Sarah confessed, looking a bit embarrassed. "I'm very curious about this sandwich, the 'Chuck'. If Chuck doesn't mind, I think we'll take you up on the offer."

"Great! Let me get my toner and I'll see you guys over there in a few." Lou waved as she headed off to purchase her items. With Lou gone, Chuck stepped closer to Sarah, an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm so sorry about that. I fixed her Blackberry a couple of years ago and we've been friends ever since. JUST friends. I swear," he proclaimed, holding up his hands in surrender.

"No, Chuck. I'm sorry. I guess old habits die hard when it comes to trusting people. I should have known better. You would never do that sort of thing. I'm so sorry. It won't happen again." She reached up and gave him a quick peck on the lips, eliciting a huge grin from Chuck.

"Let me go sign out for lunch and we can go." Chuck stepped behind the Nerd Herd desk and started typing on a computer. Molly started tugging on her mom's arm, trying to get her attention.

"What's the matter Baby?" Sarah leaned down to hear her daughter better.

"Is Chuck our boyfriend now?" she asked innocently. Sarah let out an amused chuckle and Chuck just stopped typing, not knowing what to say.

"No, Sweetie. Chuck is Mommy's boyfriend. He is just your friend." Molly got a contemplative expression on her face, then she nodded.

"Ok. That'll do for now," she conceded.

"Do? Do for what, Sweetie?" Sarah was confused and more than a little curious.

"Oh, nothin'," she replied, not seeming interested in talking about it.

"You two ready to go?" Chuck interrupted as he came back to join them. Molly took his hand and started pulling both Chuck and Sarah toward the exit.

"Yep!" She exclaimed, the two just looked on in amusement as they followed along.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Wow, Lou. This sandwich is amazing," Sarah offered, covering her mouth as she finished chewing. "I would have never thought to use egg bread, but it really makes the sandwich."

"Right? Thank you." Lou grinned at the compliment. "And how's your sandwich Molly?" The little girl was sitting beside Sarah, peanut butter and jelly smeared on both cheeks. Her only response was an emphatic nod as she took another bite, causing everyone around the table to chuckle.

"How about yours, Chuck? Just the way you like it?" Lou smirked as he fought to swallow the bite he was chewing.

"Cheesy," he replied. "Perfect!"

"What d'you get?" Sarah inquired, smiling at the child-like mess he was making, not doing much better than Molly.

"It's the 'Rueben Guberman'. Named after the B-movie sci-fi writer. You know 'Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot'? Well, anyway, it was a cheesy Japanese TV show from the late 60's and they played re-runs here when I was a kid. The sandwich is a grilled cheese Rueben, so… cheesy… Rueben… 'Rueben Guberman'. Get it?" Sarah chuckled at him, more for his enthusiastic delivery than the joke behind the name.

"That's very… inventive. Did you come up with that name Lou?" Sarah turned to Lou with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh God no," she exclaimed. "That's all him." She pointed accusingly at Chuck. "I needed a name and it seemed to fit. I've only had 3 people comment on recognizing the name since I added it, and they were even nerdier than him," Lou snorted. That got a laugh out of Sarah and a reluctant one from Chuck.

"Well, I need to get back at it. It was great meeting you Sarah. You too Molly. Don't be strangers." Lou waved as she headed back behind the counter, everyone at the table returning a wave in kind.

"I uh… I have a huge favor to ask," Chuck began after a few moments of silence had fallen over the table.

"Um, OK. What is it?" Sarah asked, looking puzzled.

"I was going to do some Christmas shopping and I was wondering if you might… you know… help me? I never know what to get people and I still need to get something for Ellie and Devon." He looked sheepishly up at her from the plate of chips he'd been fidgeting with.

"Ooo. Ooo. I wanna help get a present for Miss Ellie and Mr. Devon," Molly interjected, bouncing in her seat. Sarah just smiled at her little girl, smoothing a few of her daughter's stray hairs down.

"Of course. I wouldn't consider that a favor. That's the sort of things people in a … relationship do together. Right?" She asked with a wry smile. A huge goofy grin grew across his face.

"I… I suppose so. Though, I'll be honest… I don't have a lot of experience with… normal, healthy relationships." He shrugged, with a self-deprecating half smile.

"Well, that makes two of us. So it sounds like we're well matched." She gave him a grin and he returned it. His gaze shifting to Molly and then back to Sarah. There was a pressing question on his mind, but he didn't raise it. It wasn't the right time. He figured that she would talk about that when she was ready.

Sarah took Molly to the restroom to clean her up while Chuck cleared the trash from their table. He waited for them to come out and they escorted him back to the Buy More. Chuck was holding Sarah's hand and Molly opted to take Chuck's other hand as they walked. As they came into the store, a crowd of green shirted employees and others dressed like Chuck were gathered around the Nerd Herd desk, talking among themselves in hushed tones. Sarah leaned toward Chuck, whispering to him.

"Why are they all staring at us?"

"Oh. They're not really staring at us." He confessed. She gave him a surprised look because it seemed painfully obvious that they were. "No. They're staring at you." That surprised her even more, her mouth agape. Chuck chuckled to himself, amused at the situation. "Let's just say that they're not accustomed to women of your caliber fraternizing with… well…. people like me." Sarah was offended at the notion that she was not of the right caliber for someone like Chuck.

"Excuse me? My caliber?" She asked indignantly.

"Yeah. You know. Smart, positively gorgeous. Dressed to kill." He gestured up and down her body. She was wearing tight fitting dark jeans, a white blouse and ankle boots. It was casual to be sure, but it wasn't so much what she wore as how she wore it. "They think you're way out of my league. If I know these guys, they probably have a pool going. If I were to guess, they're wagering that you're either filming a commercial for the Buy More, so you're forced to be with me, you're a Russian bride I bought online or…. well … let's just leave it at that. Women like you generally don't give guys like me the time of day." Chuck just shrugged, but there was a tinge of sadness there.

"Molly, how about you go over and look at the kid's movies in that aisle right there," Sarah instructed. Molly didn't need to be told twice, racing off to look through the DVDs.

"You don't… you don't think that right?" She asked, turning to face him.

"What? That you're out of my league? Oh, no. I know for a fact that you're out of my league," he replied, giving her a self-deprecating smile. She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not finding it as funny.

"Don't do that. You're not out of anybody's league, Chuck. While I'm flattered that you find me smart and attractive, that doesn't make me better than anyone else. I happen to find you smart and attractive too. Maybe you're out of my league?" She gave a raised eyebrow, daring him to argue with her. She leaned in close and placed a soft kiss on his lips. When she pulled back, he was just blinking, words escaping him. She couldn't help but smile at his reaction. Finally, he seemed to snap out of it and looked into her eyes.

"Positively gorgeous." He replied quickly, a wry smile beginning to form.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked, taken aback by his abrupt response.

"I said you were smart and positively gorgeous. Not just 'attractive'. Oh, and dressed to kill. Don't forget that." His smile turned into a smirk.

"Really?" She shook her head and huffed in mock frustration. She pushed him into the aisle a little further, poking him in the chest while displaying her predatory smile.

"Do we have an understanding about this whole 'leagues' nonsense?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow as she pulled on his tie. He looked equal parts scared and aroused as he nodded his head emphatically.

"Good." Her expression returned to normal as she smoothed his tie down. "So when did you want to do this Christmas shopping?"

"Tonigh-" he squeaked out in a rather high pitched voice before clearing his throat and collecting himself. "Would tonight be OK? Say around 6:30? We can stop and grab something to eat if you like? There's less than 3 days until Christmas, so I'm getting desperate." He managed to ask in a relatively normal voice. Sarah twisted her lips to the side, trying desperately not to laugh.

"Sure. That'd be fine. Where should we meet you?" She inquired, fidgeting with his tie.

"Um… could you guys pick me up at my place? I could meet you out front. You have a pretty nice car and I only have the company car and it's … well… it's just … not." He chuckled.

"Sure. We'll see you at your place at 6:30."

"Great! Sounds great. Well, I should get back to work. Thanks for coming to lunch with me. I'm really glad I got to see you. Both of you." He gave her a big toothy grin and she couldn't help but give one in return. She backed into the main aisle so that the congregation of employees that were still at the Nerd Herd desk could see them clearly. Since Sarah still had hold of his tie, Chuck followed. Sarah pulled his tie more forcefully, bringing him into a steamy kiss, catching him completely off guard. After a few seconds she released him and smoothed his tie and wiped her thumb across his lips to remove the bit of lip gloss that had gotten smudged. With a devilish grin, she turned to look at all the staff who were gathered at the desk. Closing their slacked jaws, they promptly scattered. She chuckled to herself and went to the adjacent aisle to retrieve Molly.

As Sarah and Molly walked out of the store, they waved their goodbyes.

"Bye Chuck," Molly exclaimed. Chuck was still a bit dazed, a goofy grin on his face.

"Hnnnnng," he groaned as he waved.

* * *

A/N2: So, yeah. Looks like a shopping date. Is that a thing? That's a thing, right? Anyway, we'll just have to see how 'date-like' it is in our next installment. See you then.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Welcome back! Alright. Time for the shopping date... trip... thing.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck.

* * *

Chapter 4

Chuck stood on the sidewalk outside his Echo Park apartment building, a broad smile plastered across his face as he watched Sarah's car pull up beside him. He could faintly see Molly waving through the backseat window, the failing sunlight making it difficult to see details in the darkened car. He enthusiastically waved to her in return, then turning his attention to the passenger window, giving a much more controlled wave. He heard the 'thunk' of the door unlocking and took that as a signal to get in. Sliding into the passenger seat, he gently closed the door behind him before turning to greet Sarah properly.

"Hey you," Chuck said with a grin that crinkled his nose. He wanted to dive right in and kiss her, but hesitated, feeling a bit apprehensive given that their relationship was still all very new, not to mention Molly was in the backseat. To his surprise, Sarah didn't seem to have that same apprehension, leaning across the center console, pressing a short, but not entirely chaste, kiss to his lips. When she pulled away, she had a similar grin, her eyes sparkling from the dashboard lights.

"Hey you," she replied, giving his hand a squeeze. Chuck took a moment to regain control of his thoughts, trying not to feel embarrassed at the undoubtedly goofy grin he must be wearing. Without breaking eye contact, several times he attempted to grab the seat belt from over his shoulder and failed. Feeling sufficiently embarrassed now, he broke his gaze with Sarah to make a more concerted effort to fasten his seat belt. Sarah watched in amusement, twisting her lips to the side to stifle the laughter threatening to bubble up. He craned his neck to look over his left shoulder to the backseat.

"Hi, Miss Molly. How are you this evening?" he asked, sounding sincerely interested. Molly pulled her attention away from the game she was playing on her mother's phone to look up at him. Chuck was a little relieved to see that she was otherwise engaged during that kiss he shared with her mother.

"Hi Chuck! I'm hungry!" The slight giggle accompanying the sound of her feet kicking the seat as her legs swung, painted a picture of the little girl that he could barely see in the periphery of his vision. Chuck let out a laugh at her directness.

"Well, we'd better get a move on then." Chuck rotated his head to look at Sarah, who was still staring at him, a small grin on her face. "So, where would you ladies like to go to eat?" Sarah no more than opened her mouth when Molly quickly began chanting from the back seat.

"Chuck E. Cheese! Chuck E. Cheese!" Sarah rolled her eyes, good naturedly, as Chuck bit his lower lip to keep from laughing.

"Sweetie, I'm sure Chuck doesn't want to go to Chuck E. Cheese. Maybe we'll go sometime when -"

"Are you kidding? I'd love to go. Pizza, games and prizes. What's not to love?" Chuck interrupted, with child-like enthusiasm. Sarah turned to look at him, expecting to see a teasing look on his face. She was a little taken aback to see that he seemed quite sincere.

"Wait. You… seriously?" she inquired, seeming a bit perplexed.

"Well, yeah. Why not? I'm sure she would love it. It would give her something to do besides sit and color, like at any other restaurant. Plus, I think it'd be fun. Although, I have to warn you, despite my tall, lanky frame, I have no skill whatsoever at the basketball toss. And, that animatronic band… it kinda creeps me out a little. Just throwing that out there in the name of full disclosure." Sarah couldn't help but snort at his admission. Most men would never admit a flaw or shortcoming, especially one that would make them look weak. But Chuck was not 'most men'. In fact, he was not like any man she'd ever met. He was so open and honest with his feelings, sincere and caring, almost to a fault. He was constantly surprising her every time they were together. She twisted her lips to the side as she looked between Chuck and her daughter, expectant looks on both of their faces.

"Alright. We can go." Molly and Chuck simultaneously gave a fist pump, accompanying their hushed cheers of excitement. It was adorable and yet a little concerning all at the same time. She appreciated his boyish charms, but had to wonder if he was ready to take on the very 'adult' responsibilities of being in a relationship with a single mother. She thought back to the past few days and, slowly, that nagging voice of doubt was silenced. He had been a rock to comfort her, a positive role model for Molly and invited them into his family with open arms. He may possess a youthful, exuberant side, but he was a passionate and caring man through and through.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

As they waited for their pizza to arrive, Molly was off playing video games, giving Sarah and Chuck a moment to talk. They both sat quietly, stirring their drinks with their straws, uncertain where to begin.

"So, I've been meaning to ask, but you can feel free to not answer. Is your… is her… is he... in the picture?" Chuck winced at himself, realizing how ridiculous he sounded. Sarah gave him a warm smile, recognizing that he was trying so hard to delicately approach the subject, likely to not make her feel pressured.

"No. He's not in the picture. He was never in the picture. He signed away all parental rights and responsibilities before she was even born. To be honest, there's never really been anyone in the picture. I've just… I've kept my head down, put all my efforts into raising Molly and trying to make a life for us. Now I look up almost six years later and I wonder where the time has gone." She looked up to see Chuck nodding his understanding as he focused on his drink, stirring the ice cubes in the cup.

"What about your parents? I haven't heard you mention them. Were they able to help you out at all?" He looked up from his cup briefly and noticed Sarah's furrowed brow. "I'm sorry. I -"

"No. No, it's OK. My family life is… complicated. My parents separated when I was around seven. I … I went to live with my dad. He had to relocate for work a lot, so we moved around. We ended up in San Diego where I started high school. Shortly after, his company let him go, he claimed downsizing or something. After that, he took whatever jobs he could find, but he was never the same. He had always enjoyed his bourbon. I didn't recognize it when I was young but he had a real problem. For all I know that could have been the real reason he lost his job. At that point his drinking got progressively worse. Our relationship was … strained for most of my life, but during that time, I couldn't handle being around him anymore. So when it was time to choose a college, I went with USC, hoping to put some distance between us. We barely spoke, and when we did it usually ended in an argument. The beginning of my sophomore year at USC he died. His excessive drinking had caused liver disease and high blood pressure. He eventually drank so much it caused a stroke, killing him. I … I feel like I should have mourned more than I did after his funeral. Maybe I had resigned myself to the idea years before that he was going to end up killing himself." She shrugged, still focused on her drink.

"Oh, Sarah. I'm so sorry. What...what about your mother?" He asked tentatively, a little fearful that he would open even more old wounds.

"I… I haven't seen my mother since I was seven or eight. My dad and his mom, my Grandma Barb, they always talked about what a terrible mother she had been and how she had never truly cared about me. It's all I heard as I was growing up, so I guess I believed it. I was so angry with her that she could just let me go and never reach out to me. Not a letter or a birthday card. Nothing. It wasn't until I was going through my dad's things that I found this." She pulled out her billfold from her purse and took out a picture. It was well worn around the edges but the picture was still clear. It was a picture of a woman that looked strikingly like Sarah, holding a little girl that was a dead-ringer for Molly. They were standing in front of a Christmas tree, hugging each other, their cheeks pressed together as they smiled for the camera. He knew that smile. That was Sarah's smile, the one she showed when he was able to make her laugh.

"You look… you look so much alike. I'd swear that was you and Molly. You two look so happy." Chuck couldn't help by smile, but the emotions of the story had caused his eyes to glisten. Sarah nodded in agreement, quiet for a moment.

"I also found a bundle of old letters, birthday and Christmas cards. They had been sent to my grandma's house but addressed to me." Sarah's eyes were beginning to tear up as she spoke. "None of them had ever been opened. I went through each of them, one by one. In her early letters she explained that she was doing better, that she was seeing a doctor, getting help. She didn't say why, and I still don't know. She said she loved me and missed me, but my dad and grandma had poisoned me against her for so long, I didn't know what to believe. The cards stopped around the time my grandma died when I was eleven. I want to believe that the letters and cards were just returned to her and that she didn't give up." She blew out a breath, glancing over at Molly. She gave a tight smile as she watched her daughter with a large foam mallet, attempting to 'whack' at some rodents.

"Have you ever tried to find her or reach out to her?" Sarah shook her head, directing her gaze back to her drink.

"No. I was wrapped up in college. Then before I knew it, I got pregnant with Molly, needed to finish my degree and find work. That took up all my time and energy."

"I can't imagine how hard it must have been to go through that all by yourself. You truly are an amazing woman." She looked up, catching his soft gaze with a slight blush at his comment.

"I'm not going to lie, I really could have used my mom during that time. If not her, then somebody. There were a lot of lonely times. Times I wish I had help with Molly, times I wish there was someone there to just… talk to and, well, many nights when… anyway…" Sarah trailed off, the color rising in her cheeks at the realization she was sharing too much.

"I realize it may be too little too late, but … I'd really like to be that 'someone'." Sarah's eyebrow rose as a smirk started to form. Chuck's eyes flew open as he realized how his comment may have sounded. "Oh, God. I meant… you know… the helping and talking parts, not the … the other stuff." Sarah's other eyebrow rose at that, sending Chuck into a full on spiral. "No. No. I… I didn't mean it like that. I'd love to be that … 'someone' too, I just don't want you to think… Gah…". Chuck dropped his head into his hands, shaking his head in exasperation at himself. Sarah couldn't keep the giggle from escaping.

"I should really get better tasting shoes if I'm going to keep sticking my foot in my mouth around you." She reached across the table, taking his wrist and pulling it away from his face. She held his hand in both of hers as she craned her neck to try to look into his face.

"Chuck, I know what you meant and I really appreciate it… all of it." Chuck's head slowly rose, giving her a quizzical look. "I need to take things slow, not just for Molly, but … for myself too. You've already been an incredible listener and what you've done for Molly and I, inviting us into your family, I can't tell you how much it means to me. I've locked myself away for so long, it'll take some time before I can…"

"Hey." Chuck placed his other hand on top of their joined hands, pulling her from her thoughts. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm in no hurry, so you take all the time you need. I'm here for you, whatever you need that to be." Sarah looked into his eyes, a warm smile spread across her face. Leaning across the table, she placed a small kiss on his lips, lingering for a just a moment.

"Whatever, huh? I'm gonna hold you to that someday." Her salacious grin and dancing eyebrows almost broke him, his mouth hanging agape. He was able to recover more quickly than she had expected, his expression becoming confident as a smirk began to form.

"I look forward to it." Before their banter could go any further, their pizza arrived, causing them to separate to their respective sides of the table. Sarah waved Molly back to the table, a streamer of tickets flying behind her as the little girl ran.

"Mommy! Look at all the tickets I won! I'm gonna get that ginormous teddy bear behind the counter." Sarah and Chuck smiled in amusement at the little girl's excitement.

"Well, we'll see how many tickets you have when we leave. OK? I don't know if you have quite enough for that." The little girl slumped in her seat and gave a small pout until she noticed the pizza and suddenly all seemed right with the world. Molly devoured her pizza, recounting her story of how she acquired her collection of tickets. After they finished their meal, the trio made their way around the place, trying out games of all sorts. They laughed at how terribly they were at the driving games, crashing into each other constantly. Molly tried her hand at some of the games that granted tickets, becoming frustrated at the few tickets she managed to add to her collection. Sensing her mood, Chuck lead Sarah and Molly to another section of games and stopped to get their attention.

"What you're about to witness cannot leave the Chuck E. Cheese," he began conspiratorially. "You're about to see the fruits of my misspent youth. Molly, I'll need for you to be the designated ticket collector. Sarah, if you would be so kind as to hold my tokens and offer moral support." The two ladies giggled at his attempts to sound serious as he started doing some stretching exercises, working his neck from side to side. He stepped up to a miniature football toss game, holding out his hand for a token, like a surgeon asking for a scalpel. Chuck bent his knees and shifted his stance, not dropping the token in until he was ready. When the game began, he quickly grabbed the balls and, like a machine, tossed the balls into the second most valuable hole, scoring 30 points for each ball. He only missed once, with his second throw, quickly finding his groove, picking up speed. Sarah and Molly just stared in awe as the points racked up. When the final buzzer sounded, a steady stream of tickets started to spew from the machine, lasting for a good fifteen seconds. Molly bounced with excitement as the tickets kept coming. Once they were finished, she scooped them up into her arms, trying to get them all tucked into a ball.

"OK. Now that I've set the jackpot a lot higher, if I beat my last score, we'll win even more." Sarah handed him another token but he left his hand extended. "Blow on it for luck?" He grinned devilishly at her, waiting for her response. Not to be out done, she gave him a salacious look slowly puckered her lips and blew out a warm breath onto his hand. His grin fell, as did his jaw, now standing with his mouth agape. Sarah couldn't help but burst into laughter at his reaction, leaning in and giving him a kiss. He finally shook himself out of his daze and refocused on the task at hand. Giving Molly a wink, he dropped the coin and the game started. Chuck performed the same act of coordination as before, but this time he was tossing them into the smaller 50 point hole. Just as quickly as last time, be tossed the small footballs into the hole, one after another. When the final bell sounded, the jackpot alarm also blared, lots of flashing lights accompanying it. Molly and Sarah both cheered, watching the steady stream of tickets pile up on the floor. The attendant was asked to come over and re-fill the ticket reel, Chuck's jackpot having emptied the machine.

Chuck took Molly to several other machines, including a coin drop machine based off of the Price is Right's Plinko game. He worked with her, explaining when and where to drop the coins and why. Soon, she was getting a feel for it and before long, she had her own pile of tickets, eliciting a beaming smile of pride from the little girl.

"Mommy! Look! Look how many I got!" Molly bounced with excitement, showing her mother her large wad of tickets. Sarah picked her up and squeezed and kissed her, spinning her in circles.

"I'm so proud of you. You did such a good job. What d'you say we cash in all our tickets and see what we can get?" Molly eagerly agreed, pulling her mother toward the counter. Chuck watched on, warmed at how happy the two seemed. The attendant at the counter accepted their tickets with wide-eyed surprise and ran them through the counting machine. When the tickets were tallied, there were enough for the teddy bear she had been eyeing, with enough to spare to buy a couple of pieces of candy. The little girl's smile was even larger, if that were possible, as they walked to the car, grappling the stuffed bear that was as big as she was. After buckling the bear in the back seat beside her, at her insistence, Molly climbed into her booster seat and buckled in as well. As they drove to the mall, Sarah was quiet, occasionally stealing a glance over at Chuck. Chuck eventually noticed and quirked a smile.

"What's the matter?" He looked on in amusement, curious as to why she kept looking his way.

"You're pretty amazing, you know that?" She grinned at him, before returning her attention back to the road.

"What? I'd hardly call excelling at ticket games at Chuck E. Cheese a marketable life skill," he replied with a self-deprecating lilt to his voice.

"To that little girl it is. Can't you see how happy you made her?" Sarah stole a glance in the rearview mirror at her little girl, who was talking to and playing with her new bear. "It's not the skill at the games Chuck. It's the way you put your whole self into making people happy. You are one of the kindest, most selfless people I have ever known."

"I'm… I'm glad I can make her happy. It's important to me. But what's more important to me right now is your happiness. Do I… do I make you happy?" The apprehension in his voice and the uncertainty in his gaze was hard to miss. Paused at a stop light, Sarah turned to him, looking into his eyes.

"You see this?" She pointed at her face, the corners of her mouth upturned, a bit of her pearly white teeth shown between her crimson lips. He couldn't help but stare, a small blush creeping in, thankfully masked by the dim light. He nodded slowly, not really sure where she was going with this. "This smile rarely ever showed up. Not until you came into our lives. Now it's here almost all the time. So, Yes, Chuck. You make me happy. The fact that you're so kind and thoughtful, that you seem to take such joy in making my little girl happy, those things make me happy. You're so caring and supportive, wearing your heart on your sleeve. You've been hurt so badly in the past, yet you so easily accepted us into your life. I don't know what the future holds, for me, for us. What I do know is that the thought of you being in it, that makes me happy." She paused for a moment, traffic flowing again.

"I'm sorry. That was probably a little too … heavy. I just-"

"No!... No… It was… it was very touching to hear. Sorry, that sounded very patronizing. I just… I have a hard time seeing myself the way others… the way you seem to. But I'm so glad that you do. Continuing in the spirit of full disclosure, the thought of being in your future, both of your futures, …. that makes me happy too. Probably more than you know." He reached across the console and took her free hand. She looked down at it then over at him, a broad smile on her face. As if on cue, Molly interjected from the back seat.

"Are we almost there? I have to go potty." The two adults failed to hold back a snicker at the timely outburst.

"We're almost there, Sweetie. Can you hold it for a couple more minutes?" Sarah asked, looking at her daughter in the rearview mirror.

"Yeaaaah. I don't have to go real, real bad… yet," she replied. Sarah chuckled at her daughter's comment.

"OK. well I'll hurry."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Molly and Sarah walked back from the public restrooms, their interlocked hands swinging between them. The swinging was very exaggerated, making mother and daughter giggle as they approached Chuck. He had been leaning against a pillar in the mall concourse, watching and waiting. As the objects of his affection approached, there was a fluttering in his stomach as he watched them laughing. The way their eyes sparkled and their faces lit up, it made his heart soar. There must have been something written across his face, something that Sarah easily picked up on.

"What?" She asked, giving him a quizzical look. Chuck looked around, uncertain what she was talking about. "That look. What's that all about?" She gestured in the vicinity of his face, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh… nothing," he replied sheepishly, a blush beginning to form. She didn't seem to accept that answer, tilting her head down, a mock glare of warning.

"It's just I …" A warm smile grew, igniting a spark in his eyes as he captured her gaze. There were words on his tongue, words that his heart was eager to profess, but his head knew were too hurried, impulsive. He swallowed them away, for now, shaking his head instead. "I'm glad you agreed to do this." He let out the breath he'd been holding, the spark in his eyes dimmed a bit. She was no fool and could tell that he was hiding something, but opted to let it go for now.

"So where do we start?" She asked, looking up and down the concourse at all of the stores.

"I need to find something for Ellie and Devon. I just don't really know what to get them. I feel like my gifts are always lame and get tossed in a closet or in the Goodwill pile within a few weeks." He shrugged with his patented self-deprecating smile.

"Well, the first day we met you, you were looking at the jewelry section. Was there something there that you had in mind?"

"No, I was just wandering aimlessly. I was looking at the watches, but anything that Devon would like is waaaay out of my budget.'

'I see. So, from what I know of them, Ellie seems to enjoy wine, so maybe a nice bottle of wine, maybe as a stocking stuffer. Or some new wine glasses or maybe some of those rings that go around the stem of the wine glass so people can tell which one is theirs. If she entertains, that could be something. I also noticed she wears Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea lotion or body spray. That could always be an option."

"Wow. That's… that's great! Those are a lot of great suggestions. Thank you."

"Now, for Devon, maybe something sports or fitness related. Or a unique gadget from Brookstone or Sharper Image. Something like that."

"You're amazing. That sounds perfect. Let's go by Bath and Body Works and then hit up Sharper Image. We might find things for both of them there." Sarah nodded her approval and took his hand in her free one, walking to their first destination. As they walked, they admired the decorations and window displays, Molly pointing out a number of new additions to her Christmas list.

Chuck found a Sweet Pea gift set for Ellie at Bath and Body Works and a rechargeable wine bottle opener from Bed Bath and Beyond. For Devon, they found a Bluetooth VR headset, which could be perfect for his time on the stationary bike. They were walking down the mall's concourse and Molly had taken a few steps toward a Christmas display, staring in awe at the multitude of lights. Sarah pulled him close and got close to his ear, whispering softly.

"I need to pick up some things for her at the toy store, but I never get a chance to do that alone. Would you mind keeping her busy for a little while? It shouldn't be more than thirty minutes or so."

"Oh, yeah. Sure thing. We'll take a walk down to the other end of the mall. Just text me when you're all clear." She kissed him on the lips, shooting him a dazzling smile.

"You're the best. Thank you." She took a few steps toward her daughter and called out for her. "Molly?" The little girl turned around and raced back to her mother. "I've got an errand I need to run. Can you stay with Chuck for me until I get back?" The little girl looked between Chuck and her mother and then nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I can watch out for him while you're gone, Mommy." Molly grinned from ear to ear, proud of the joke she'd made. Sarah and Chuck both barked out a laugh.

"Thank you Sweetie." Sarah leaned in closer to Molly and whispered loudly, "Just let him think he's in charge. It'll make him feel better." Molly giggled and nodded excitedly. Sarah kissed her daughter on the head and reminded her to 'be good' before walking off.

"So what do we do now?" Molly looked up at Chuck, taking a hold of his hand. He smiled down at her, a twinkle in his eye.

"Well, I think I have an idea. Walk with me?" He gestured with his head in the opposite direction from the one Sarah had gone. The little girl nodded emphatically and they started their trek through the mall, joined hands swinging between them. Chuck had never been one to wonder about what people thought of him. He had always assumed that people just… didn't. He was largely invisible, unremarkable. With Molly in hand though, people noticed. He could see the 'Awww' expressions on the faces of mothers and grandmothers alike, as they passed by. Normally that sort of attention might make him self-conscious, but as they mainly seemed to be looking at the adorable, blonde-haired ball of sunshine that he was with, he just went with it. After a few minutes, realization struck her and Molly perked up.

"Hey! This is the place," she exclaimed, looking up at Chuck with a wide-eyed expression.

"Yep. This is the place where I brought you back to your mom. I remembered you said that you were distracted by looking at the pretty jewelry and things, so I thought you might like to show me what you found." A smile quickly spread across her face as she dragged him to the case that she and her mother had looked at when they were waiting in line.

"Wow. These are really pretty. Do you think your mommy would like any of these?" Chuck squatted down so he was on the same level as Molly, looking through the front of the case in wonder.

"Yeah. She said they were pretty, but that we didn't have the money for any of these extras." The little girl's shoulders slumped, a look of sadness overtaking her. Chuck had come to care for Molly very deeply, and to see her so saddened was heartbreaking. He didn't have a huge budget either, so lavish jewelry was out of the question. He looked into the case, his eyes drifting over the items until they stopped on some small trinkets in the neighboring case. An epiphany struck him, a grin spreading across his face.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"So. Did you get all your 'errands' done?" He asked, bumping shoulders with Sarah as they started walking hand in hand down the mall's concourse. She grinned and bumped him back playfully.

"I did. What did you guys get up to? See anything cool or interesting?" She glanced over at her daughter and then at Chuck. He and the little girl exchanged a look.

"Yeah. We saw lots of cool stuff. You know. Christmasy stuff," Molly replied. She didn't look at her mother, but the smile that she was failing to suppress gave her away. Sarah gave Chuck an amused look, noticing that he was also avoiding eye contact.

"That's right. Lots of … Christmasy stuff." Twisting her lips to the side, trying to hide her smile, she just nodded as they walked toward the mall exit. She could tell the two of them were up to something. Glancing between the two of them, it dawned on her that this would be the first time that Molly had someone to help her with a Christmas gift for Sarah. They had never really had anyone in their lives before. A few acquaintances, but nobody close. Sure, Molly had made her things for Christmas, and last year she bought Sarah some small items from a holiday shop at her pre-school. But now? Now she had Chuck to help her pick out what Molly considered a 'real gift'. Everything that Molly made for her she cherished more than anything bought from a store. Still, she knew that it would make Molly happy. To buy a gift for her mother, from a real store. To have someone there for her to help her do that. If Sarah was honest, that was a gift in and of itself. In just a short time, he had brought so much happiness to her and Molly's lives. She couldn't be more grateful for fate bringing him into their lives.

They talked and laughed in the car, on their way back to drop off Chuck. Molly recounted the fun they had at Chuck E. Cheese, the beautiful decorations all over the mall and a number of toy ideas she had seen in the store windows. She seemed to be a never ending fountain of excitement. However, the fountain slowly became a trickle as they neared Chuck's apartment, the long day beginning to take its toll. By the time Sarah brought the car to a stop in front of his apartment complex, Molly's eyelids were heavy with sleep. Chuck hopped out of the car and opened the door to the back seat. He reached in and gave the little girl a hug, which she eagerly returned.

"Byyyye Chuck," she moaned out sleepily. "Thank you for my teddy bear. I love him." She leaned onto the bear, giving it a side hug.

"I'm glad. Thanks for letting me tag along with you guys. I had a lot of fun. Go home and get some good rest." He planted a soft kiss to the top of her head before waving his 'goodbye' and closing the door. He then walked around to the driver's side, standing at Sarah's door. The window slowly lowered, revealing Sarah with a tight-lipped smile. She silently mouthed 'Thank you', her eyes shimmering in the street light. He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers. Before he could pull away, she returned the gesture, this time lingering and deepening the kiss. The soft moan that escaped his chest made her smile into their kiss. She slowly pulled away, dragging her fingers along his cheek.

"Can… can I see you tomorrow?" she asked with hope in her eyes. To her disappointment, his slumped shoulders and sad expression gave her the answer.

"I'm sorry. I have to work in the morning and then I have a … a thing after work. I don't know when I'll get home." He sounded as disappointed as she felt, which oddly made her feel a little better. "Could I call you tomorrow? At lunch or maybe before you go to bed?" His hopeful gaze lifted her spirits, a smile spreading across her face.

"Yeah. I'd like that," she nodded.

"Great! Great. And I promise, the day after that, I'm all yours."

"I hope so. That's Christmas Eve. We're… we're still invited over, right?"

"Oh God! YES! Of course. Absolutely. Are you kidding? Not only am I super excited, but I think Ellie is going a little overboard on the holiday cheer. I'd bring a couple extra changes of clothes, for when she persuades you to stay longer." Sarah's eyebrows raised in surprise, a little taken aback. Chuck just shrugged, giving her a smirk. "I know Ellie. She's not gonna want you guys to leave… she and I have a lot in common." With that, Chuck began to blush, evident even in the dim light. He opened the door to the back seat of the driver's side, retrieving his packages from their shopping trip. He gently closed the back door and returned to Sarah's window, leaning in slightly.

"Hey. I…" He paused, staring into her eyes. There were words he was trying to get out, dangling at the precipice, threatening to topple over the edge. He searched her eyes as she searched his. She didn't know what he was searching for or what it was he wanted to say, but she had caught the same apprehension earlier in the evening. She could feel so much in his gaze, a warmth that enveloped her. She could see him swallow thickly and his shoulders slump as if in resignation. "I'll talk to you tomorrow?" She studied him for a moment then nodded her agreement. He gave Sarah another kiss, this time a little more chaste, before backing away with a wave. He walked through the gate to the complex, offering a final wave as she pulled away.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sarah was sitting at her dining room table, finishing up some work while Molly played in her room. Chuck had kept his word, calling her during his lunch break for no other reason than just to talk to her. Normally she was not a 'talker', so it surprised her how easy it was for her to talk with him. It didn't have to be deep or philosophical topics. It could be as normal or mundane as 'How was your day?' or 'What's your favorite band?'.

Before their call ended, Sarah asked Chuck for Ellie's number, so she could ask about what she could take for Christmas Eve and Day. Chuck assured her that she didn't need to take anything, but happily gave her Ellie's number, where he was sure she'd get the same response. Now she found herself sitting at her table, staring at the number. She was apprehensive about calling, and was admittedly a little intimidated by Ellie. Sure, she had been nothing but kind and supportive to Sarah and Molly, but she was like a mother to Chuck, or at least the closest thing he had now. She wanted Ellie to approve of their relationship, approve of her. Taking a cleansing breath to steady her nerves, she dialed the number.

E: "Hello?"

S: "Hi. Ellie? This is Sarah. Sarah Walker?"

E: "Sarah! Oh my gosh. It's great to hear from you. How are you? How's Molly?"

S: "We're good. Really good. Thank you. I was calling about Christmas Eve."

E: "Oh please. Please tell me you're still coming?"

S: "Y-Yes. We're … we're still coming."

E: "Oh, thank God. I have way too much food planned. I'd be eating it through New Year's otherwise.

S: "Well, that's partly why I called. I wanted to see what I could bring. Food or drinks? Anything?"

E: "You don't have to worry about a thing. Just bring you, Molly and your pajamas. While you're at it, bring a few extra changes. You may be in too much of a food coma to want to leave. And we'd love to have you stay as long as you want. It's a time for relaxing and enjoying each other's company. We're really looking forward to it."

S: "We are too. I can't thank you enough for … for everything. Well, I guess we'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

E: "Wait. Tomorrow? But what about the…" She gave an exasperated sigh before continuing. "He didn't tell you, did he?"

S: "I'm not sure I follow. Tell me what?"

E: "About tonight."

S: "Oh. Um… well, he said he had plans tonight, but that was all he said."

E: "Of course he did… Are you and Molly busy tonight, by chance?"

S: "Umm...N-no. Not really."

E: "Good. I'll text you an address. Meet me in the main lobby at a little before 7:00 tonight. Dress casual. Feel free to be as festive as you want."

S: "Alright. If you insist."

E: "Oh, I do. I insist."

S: "OK. I guess we'll see you then. Bye Ellie."

E: "Bye Sarah. See ya this evening."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

At shortly before 7:00PM that evening, Sarah and Molly found themselves walking into the lobby of Westside Medical Hospital. She was dressed in dark jeans and a red sweater with white snowflake patterns on it, while Molly was wearing black pants and a green, long sleeve t-shirt with a decorated Christmas tree on the front. Both were wearing festive earrings as well, Sarah with small Christmas tree ornament earrings and Molly with tiny Christmas lights. They stood in the atrium, admiring the Christmas decorations when they heard their names called.

"Sarah. Molly." They turned to see Ellie dressed similarly in a festive sweater and matching snowflake necklace and earrings. "You guys made it!" Molly ran to the older woman, giving her a hug around the waist. Ellie beamed, bending over to wrap the little girl in a hug. When the little girl finally let go, Ellie stepped up to Sarah, pulling her into a strong hug as well. "So glad to see you."

"It's good to see you too. So, if I may ask, what are we doing here?" Sarah's curiosity was getting the better of her. Ellie grinned and nodded.

"Follow me. I'll show you." Ellie gestured with her head to follow her as she led them to the bank of elevators. Entering the waiting elevator, they were quiet as it rose to the 7th floor. When the doors opened, Ellie motioned them into the small lobby area. The wall had signs with arrows indicating the directions for the various departments. Before Sarah could read them all, Ellie was directing them to the left and through a set of double doors.

"So, years ago, we started a gift drive for the children in the pediatric wing. We wanted to try to make their Christmas in the hospital the best that it could be. They set up a Christmas tree, have lots of presents and treats. The kids and their families really enjoy it, especially the kids that are here for long stays. Three years ago, I convinced Chuck to come here with me, hoping that the spirit of the holidays might rub off on him. Maybe get him out of his funk. Well, as you can imagine, he was really moved by the experience, kind-hearted man that he is. He got involved, talking with the kids and their families, playing games and singing Christmas carols. Ever since, he has volunteered here to sing carols to the kids." Sarah's hand covered her mouth, her eyes glistening.

"But… why wouldn't he just tell me that?" Sarah asked, as she and Molly continued to follow close behind Ellie. She had thought that their relationship was really beginning to grow. To keep things from her or not include her was a little hurtful. Ellie glanced back at her, hearing the distress in her voice. She gave Sarah a knowing smile before continuing.

"For one, he's Chuck. He's too modest. I'm sure he thinks it would be like bragging or like he was trying to play some angle. Second, he doesn't really sing in public, just for these kids. Heck, I only hear him through the wall on occasion and that's it. Music is very … personal to him. I think it helped him through the tough times, and it represents a very vulnerable part of himself. He doesn't really talk about it, but that's kind of what I've gathered." She peaked around a corner and then waved for the two of them to follow. They made their way to the waiting room of the pediatric wing and could see the place was decorated to the nines. A large, decorated Christmas tree ,with presents beneath, was situated in the corner and tables of treats and more gifts were placed around the edges of the room. Children in walkers and wheelchairs, IV stands and monitors congregated with their parents, talking and laughing. There, beside the tree, sitting on a stool, was Chuck, dressed in his Buy More uniform, minus the pocket protector. He was finishing tuning an acoustic guitar and clearing his throat. Ellie pulled them into a spot where they could watch but Chuck couldn't easily see.

"OK everybody. Merry Christmas. It's so great to see you guys. How about we sing some Christmas songs? That sound good? Yeah? Alright. If you know the words, feel free to sing along." Chuck brandished is bright smile, beginning to strum his guitar. His first song was 'Jingle Bells', an upbeat song to help set the mood. Children and adults alike began to join in. Molly was singing along as well, excited to be part of it all. The next song was 'Here Comes Santa Claus', which was equally well received. As the song was ending, Ellie nudged Molly and encouraged her to go and join the other kids that were sitting on the floor. As he finished the song, everyone clapped. Chuck clapped as well, praising everyone for a job well done. As his eyes panned over the crowd, he caught Molly's beaming smile and he froze in wonder, his face lighting up. He immediately scanned the area and saw Sarah, standing at the back of the crowd. The smile on his face caused his nose to scrunch and his eyes sparkle. He waved at Molly, then Sarah, before clearing his throat.

"Do we have any requests? What would people like to hear next? How about you, Molly? What would you like to hear?" He gestured to the little blonde girl, who was frantically waving her arm in the air.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas." Her suggestion was met with cheers, making the little girl's smile broaden even more.

"OK. OK. The Twelve Days of Christmas it is. But, you guys are gonna have to help me. I get confused and forget what number we're on sometimes. Can you do that?" The kids and adults all voice their agreement so he began to play. True to their word, everyone got involved. He even caught a glimpse of Sarah singing along, an amused smile on her face. After Chuck's rather comical rendition of the song, he followed it with a few other requests, the parents, children and hospital staff all singing along. The spirit of Christmas filled the halls and, if only for a short while, parents were able to set aside their worry and sadness, and children could be children.

"OK. I have… one more song. It's very special to me and I'd like to dedicate this to a very special woman in my life. Some of you may know her. Her name is Mrs. Butterworth. You know, the syrup bottle lady?" The children and adults, alike, chuckled. "OK. OK. It's not Mrs. Butterworth." Chuck looked at Sarah and held her gaze before he continued. "But there is a very special woman I would like to dedicate this song to. She and her daughter have brought so much joy to my life this Christmas season, and I hope for many more to come." He began to pick at the guitar, the slow melody was soothing, lulling everyone into silence as he began.

"No nothing

You could give me

Would compare

To the gift of your love

Not a star in the heavens

Not a diamond so rare

No light can compare

To the gift of your love

So don't buy me anything

Cause all I ever, ever need

Is for me to fall deeper into you

And you deeper into me

I wouldn't know how to wish for

Heavenly love this rare

Nothing can compare

To the gift of your love

I want you to know you save me

Like only love can dare

Nothing can compare

To the gift of your love

Every breath I breathe's a prayer

For the gift of your love"

As he concluded the song, sniffling could be heard echoing throughout the area before it was drowned out by clapping. When he looked back to where Sarah had been standing, she was gone. That wasn't the response he had hoped for, but perhaps the one he should have expected. He put on a happy face for the kids and announced that it was time for treats. The staff and volunteers began helping the children and their parents get treats and drinks. Chuck waded through the throngs of kids that gave him hugs, finally being tackled by one little blonde-haired dynamo.

"Molly. Hey kiddo. You surprised me. What are you guys doing here?" He gave the girl a one armed hug, his guitar in his other hand.

"Miss Ellie told Mommy and me to come down here. You're a very good singer Chuck. Will you sing some more songs on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?" Her puppy dog eyes were hard to resist, tugging at his heart-strings.

"We'll see. Maybe. Do you know where your mom went?" The little girl looked around and shrugged.

"She was over there, but I don't know where she went."

"How about you grab a treat and I'll go find her. I'll be right back." The little girl didn't need to be told twice, racing to get in line. Chuck put his guitar back in its case, then walked in the direction where he had last seen Sarah, continuing down the hall searching for her. A little way down the hall he could see her leaning against the wall in a secluded alcove. Her back was to him so he couldn't see her expression, making him all the more apprehensive. He closed the distance between them, slowing when he got within a few feet.

"Sarah. I'm… I'm sorry. That… that was probably too much. I-I should have -" Before he could finish his thought, she whirled around to face him, the trails of her tears still visible on her cheeks. In an instant, her hands were cupping his cheeks, pulling him into an intense kiss that made his toes curl. Her fingers wrapped around the back of his neck, giving her a better grip to pull him deeper into the kiss. Chuck found himself pushed up against the wall, Sarah's tongue caressing his own. The whining moan that escaped him caused her to smile and uncontrollably giggle into the kiss. She peppered his lips with several short kisses, seeming to be an appropriate decompression measure after the deep, passionate kiss they had found themselves in. Pulling apart slightly to catch their breath, he leaned his forehead on hers. He took hold of her hands, hoping that she couldn't feel his slight tremble.

"So… um, Molly ratted out my sister. She said Ellie convinced you guys to come here. I… I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I wasn't really trying to keep it from you. I was just… I dunno… embarrassed, I guess. I don't normally sing for people, but here, it just seems ... different, like it's bigger than myself, ya know? This place is a... judgement-free bubble. A lot of these kids don't have the luxury of wasting time on what others think about them. I suppose here, in this place, they give me the courage I wouldn't normally have. The courage to express myself without fear. To express my feelings… for you." Chuck audibly swallowed, fighting a losing battle with his nerves.

"Chuck. Your… your singing is beautiful. Every day with you shows me something new and amazing about you." Chuck snorted, shaking his head. "Hey! You're amazing. For so many reasons. This. What you're doing for these kids and their families… you are truly an amazing man." Sarah paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. "That… that song. I've never heard anything more beautiful. You sang about what you wanted for yourself. That someone's love for you was a gift. Do you… do you have a … a 'gift' of your own to give?" Chuck was taken aback by Sarah's timidness, the apprehension in her voice. She was typically such a strong and confident woman. This was a new side to her, one that he was glad to see. It made him feel a little better about himself, knowing that even she had her moments of uncertainty.

"Oh Sarah. I fell for you the first day I met you. When Molly made us hold hands, even for that brief moment, I knew. It was like a spark of electricity shot through me, igniting feelings that I never knew possible. I kept trying to convince myself that there was no way that you could ever feel that way for me. An amazing, smart and beautiful woman like you, why would you ever settle for a nerd like me? Then, at the Buy More, you convinced me that I wasn't completely alone in my feelings. Still, I tried to stay realistic, knowing it would take time for you to feel the same way, if ever." He took in a ragged breath, his nervousness still apparent. He bent down slightly so that he was face to face with her, wanting to look into her eyes for what he had to say.

"When I saw you here tonight, singing and laughing, you looked so happy. The smile on your face melted me and I knew that I didn't want to keep my feelings for you to myself anymore. I wanted to believe that I had some part in your happiness. That my love for you could make you happy." Sarah couldn't control the small gasp at his words. She had no question that Chuck had strong feelings for her. He wore his heart on his sleeve and showed his love for her, for Molly, every moment they were together. He had never used the words, but the actions, the deeds, were always there.

"Sarah, believe me, I realize how crazy I sound. I know we've only known each other for such a short time but… but I know what I feel. I used to believe that I knew what love was, or what it was supposed to feel like, but my God, you turned my world upside down. All that I thought I knew was so wrong. I was settling for a horrible, cheap imitation. Sarah Walker, I love you. I know it. I feel it in every fiber of my being. You asked if I have a gift of my own. The only thing I have worth giving is my heart. It belongs to you, Sarah. Completely. Unreservedly. I leave it at your mercy." Sarah let out a small chuckle mixed with the sob that had welled up from within her. She placed a hand on his cheek continuing to search his eyes.

"You know, Chuck, I've spent years convincing myself that I didn't need anyone. That Molly and I would be fine, just the two of us. It was safest that way. If I didn't care about anyone, then they couldn't hurt me, hurt Molly. So I built these walls around my heart, trying to keep the world out." Chuck nodded his understanding, averting his gaze to the floor. He was beginning to sense that the conversation was taking a turn that wouldn't end so well for him. Before she continued, Sarah took his chin in her hand and lifted his face so she could meet his gaze again.

"Then I met the most amazing man. He didn't shower me with shallow compliments and empty promises. He showed Molly and I such love and kindness, the likes of which I never knew existed. Before I realized it, those carefully constructed walls I built up came crashing down. By all rights, I should be terrified, but I'm not. Not anymore. Your love is a gift Chuck. One I'm not sure I deserve, but so help me, I've never wanted anything more in my life. If you want my love Chuck, you have it. I never believed it possible to feel this way, and as crazy as it may be, I know without a doubt that I love you Chuck Bartowski." Sarah barely got the sentence out, tears streaming down her face again, when Chuck pressed his lips to hers in an intensely passionate kiss. Once the initial shock subsided, she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss as she pulled him closer. Without warning, he lifted her up in his arms, holding her firm with a strength she didn't know he possessed. Time lost all meaning, the kiss and the warmth of their embrace causing them to lose themselves.

Just as quickly as they had immersed themselves in one another, they surfaced. It wasn't for air, as one would suspect, but rather because of a tugging on Chuck's sleeve. Chuck pulled away from the kiss, slowing letting Sarah down. She was initially surprised, and a bit dejected, until she followed his gaze. Molly was standing there with two Christmas cookies. The icing was thick and smeary, embedded with enough sprinkles to chip a tooth. She held them aloft, a brilliant smile on her face.

"Look! I got you guys Christmas cookies. I decorated them myself!" The two adults twisted their lips to avoid laughing at the situation and how adorably excited she was to share her creations.

"Thank you Sweetie. That was very nice of you." Wiping her cheeks, Sarah took an offered cookie and gave her daughter a kiss on the head, pushing some stray hairs behind the little girl's ear.

"Yes. Thank you Molly. You did an amazing job. Especially the sprinkles. Those are my favorite." They both took a bite of their cookies, careful to break the piece of cookie off, rather than try to bite through the layer of rock hard sprinkles and small cinnamon candies. Admittedly, the cookie was good, the thick layer of icing helping to cushion the crunching of their teeth against the sprinkles.

"Are you two getting a … divorce?" The question came out of left field, taking both of them by surprise. Sarah recovered a little better than Chuck, who had nearly inhaled a piece of cookie.

"Wh-where did you get that idea?!" Sarah inquired, a look of shock on her face.

"Brianna, a girl in my class, she said her mommy was kissing a man in the hallway at her house, and now she said her parents were getting a divorce." She said it all so matter-of-factly, like going to the grocery.

"No. No Sweetie. Brianna's … 'situation' is much different. When you're married to someone, you're not supposed to kiss other people. Chuck and I, we aren't married to anyone. We're boyfriend and girlfriend though, so we can kiss. You remember the talk we had about it?" Molly nodded her understanding, seeming to be satisfied with the explanation.

"So you're going to get married?" Molly asked innocently. Both Chuck and Sarah's mouths dropped open, the question catching them completely off guard. They each could only make a strangled, choking sound in response. As if by some miracle, Ellie had been following behind Molly, thoroughly entertained by the interruption and Molly's inquiries. When the 'M' word was brought up, she quickly realized that this had just jumped into dangerous territory.

"Hey, Molly. How about we go check out the Christmas ornament craft table. Doesn't that sound like fun?" Ellie gave the two a knowing wink as she took Molly by the hand, leading her back down the hallway. They both stood and stared at the two walking away, neither saying anything. When Ellie and Molly disappeared around the corner, Chuck was the first to speak.

"I definitely need to go out and get Ellie another gift tomorrow." Sarah quickly agreed, nodding her head emphatically.

"Oh, definitely. Big gift." They glanced at one another and burst into laughter, leaning against the other for support.

* * *

A/N2: Yes, I went there and I make no apologies. If there was ever a time for some serious Charah action, it's at Christmas, right? That Molly is so much fun to write. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

If you are not familiar, the song that Chuck dedicated to Sarah was 'The Gift of Your Love' by Leann Rimes.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Christmas Eve at the Bartowski's

I know that Christmas is quickly approaching in the real world, so I hope that I can get this finished BEFORE Christmas.

I appreciate all that have sent in reviews or PMs. There are a ton of amazing Christmas stories being published, along with the other amazing stories, so I really appreciate that you take time away from those to read this. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

* * *

Chapter 5

Molly was beyond excited. Not only was it Christmas Eve but she was about to have her first ever sleepover. They stood staring at the door to Chuck's apartment, wearing her Dora The Explorer backpack, her stuffed rabbit named 'Dog' in one hand and her mother's hand in the other.

"Can I knock, Mommy? Can I?" the little girl pleaded with a hopeful look on her face. Sarah smiled down at her daughter, giving her a nod of assent. With that, Molly could hardly contain her enthusiasm. She released her mother's hand long enough to wrap on the door, a little harder than was probably necessary. She then hugged her bunny, with both arms, bouncing in place with excitement. It was clear from the faint laughter that the occupants knew who was doing the knocking. A brief moment later the door was flung open, Ellie already crouched down to Molly's level.

"Who's that knockin' on my door?" she demanded playfully. The little girl let out a giggle and shouted, 'Me!' before charging the older woman. Molly wrapped her arms around Ellie's neck just as she was pulled into a bear hug. Chuck's sister let out a faux grunt from the exaggerated effort of squeezing so hard, and that only made Molly giggle all the more.

"That's the best hug I've gotten all day," Ellie declared, setting the little girl down before standing to her full height. Stepping past Molly, she pulled Sarah into a hug as well. "Thank you so much for coming. It really means a lot, to all of us." She pulled away, ushering the Walker girls into the apartment before shutting the door.

"Come in. Come in. Let's get those coats off and then I can show you where you can put your bags." Ellie noticed that Sarah had a large gift bag with some wrapped gifts in it, taking her by surprise. "Sarah. You didn't have to bring anything," she whispered, gesturing to the bag. Sarah followed her gaze, realizing what Ellie was protesting about.

"Oh. It's… it's not much. Just a few things that Molly and I picked up for all of you. Just a small way of saying 'Thanks'." Sarah gave her a smile and a small shrug. The older woman only nodded her understanding, not pushing the issue any further. She motioned for them to follow her down the hallway. She opened the first door on the right, turning on the light and guiding them into the room.

"This is Chuck's room. Pardon all the nerd paraphernalia," she snickered as she gestured around the room. Sarah just stood, taking it all in. It wasn't the first time she had been in Chuck's room, but she hadn't really paid much attention before, what with all the crying. The first thing she noticed was that the room smelled like him. The hint of musk from his cologne and something else that was just uniquely ... 'Chuck'. The second thing she noticed was how neat and orderly the room was. There were certainly a lot of things throughout the small space. Shelves of books, comic books and action figures accompanying stacked milk crates filled with CDs, DVDs and vinyl records. It was all neat and orderly, everything in its place. The queen sized bed was expertly made, making her feel a bit guilty for how infrequently she made her own bed. In the corner was Chuck's guitar case, bringing back the pleasant memories of last night, watching and listening to Chuck sing. His words were still fluttering through her mind, eliciting a smile she didn't realize she was now wearing. She was roused from her musing by a shoulder bump.

"Chuck will be sleeping … on the couch," Ellie mentioned, clearing her throat and twisting her lips to try and hide her grin. Sarah blushed a bit at being caught in her daydream, and a little more due to the insinuations that Ellie was making. Sarah cleared her own throat, moving further into the room, hoping to change the subject. She placed her small duffle bag on the bed, patting a spot beside it.

"Go ahead and put your stuff on the bed Molly." The little girl did as her mother asked, sluffing off her backpack and laying 'Dog' against the pillow.

"Wow! Chuck has lots of cool dolls Mommy. Can I play with them?" Ellie and Sarah's eyes went wide with fear. The word 'No' was forming on both of their lips when they were cut short.

"You can absolutely play with them," Chuck declared, leaning against the door frame of his room. The little girl gasped at his voice and raced toward him, Chuck scooping her up into a hug.

"There you are! Thanks for letting us sleep in your big bed, Chuck." The little girl squeezed him around the neck, pulling back a little to look into his face.

"You are most welcome. There's plenty of room for you and your mom and… who's this?" Chuck gingerly picked up the little stuffed rabbit, showing it to Molly.

"That's my bunny, Dog. He sleeps with me every night." He raised an eyebrow and gave Sarah a look. She just smiled and shrugged. He put the well-worn bunny back in its resting spot against his pillow and set Molly down on the floor. He bent down and placed a hand on the little girl's back and pointed to his shelves.

"Those are called 'action figures', not dolls, and you can play with them if you want. I do have some rules though. You can't play with the two on the top shelf, but any of the others you can. OK?" The little girl gave him a serious look and nodded her head in understanding. "Good. The only other thing I ask is that you play with them nicely and keep them in here. Ellie would get mad if one of the little pieces got sucked up in her vacuum or someone stepped on them. Alright? Can you do that?" With a smile, Molly nodded again and took off for the shelf of action figures. When Chuck stood, looking between Sarah and Ellie, they were both staring at him with a perplexed look, Ellie even more so. 'What?"

"You're letting her play with your action figures? Mister 'don't touch my stuff or you'll break it'? Seriously?" Ellie stood with her hands on her hips, looking at him like he was from Mars.

"Well, I trust that she'll respect my things. You, I'm sure you'd just as soon throw most of this stuff in the trash. At least she can find some joy in them too." He mock glared at his sister. She mulled it over in her head and nodded, conceding his point.

"Did you get what I asked for from the store?" Ellie inquired, changing the subject as she started to leave the room.

"Yeah. They're on the kitchen counter. I deserve a medal for bravery. The grocery store on Christmas Eve? That truly is the 'Nightmare Before Christmas'." He made a face and shivered a little, trying to shake it off. Ellie chuckled as she left, likely heading toward the kitchen. Bringing himself back to the present, he turned to Sarah, brandishing a brilliant smile. He closed the distance and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. With a dreamy look in his eyes, he finally greeted her with a "Hi." She returned the smile, licking her lips, savoring the taste of him that was now laced with a delicious chocolatey-minty flavor.

"Mmmm. Hi, yourself". He watched as she licked her lips and his brain froze for a moment, his mouth dropping open slightly. Coming to his senses, he put the pieces together and blushed.

"Oh. That's… that's the cafe mocha with peppermint I was drinking. I can uh… you-you can have some. It's on the kitchen counter…" he trailed off, thumbing over his shoulder. She chuckled at his stammering, finding it both humbling and adorable. She pulled him into another kiss, again tasting her lips after.

"I think for now I'll just stick with the secondhand flavor. It's much… sweeter." The devilish grin she gave him caused Chuck to swallow thickly, his eyes growing even wider. She couldn't help but laugh, pulling him into a hug. She chuckled into his chest for a moment until she started to relax. The scent of him, his warmth, enveloping her had a calming effect. Their relationship was still very new, barely over a week old. It struck her that they had not really been in a situation in which she could just snuggle into him like this. With both of their jobs, they had spent very little time together aside from their few outings and that first dinner where she met Ellie and Devon. She envisioned them cuddled on a couch watching a movie or gazing at the fireplace, just enjoying each other's closeness. That was it, wasn't it? That thing she was missing. The closeness. Perhaps this Christmas, here with Chuck, she could remedy that. She slowly pulled away, glancing down at Molly, who was thoroughly entertained with Chuck's action figures. The little girl had pulled out a few of the small toys she had packed in her bag and has happily playing on the floor of Chuck's room. Chuck interlaced his fingers with her own, grabbing her attention. He gestured with his head toward the door, and she nodded and followed behind. He grabbed his cup of coffee on the way past the kitchen as they made their way to the living room, passing Ellie who made her way to her bedroom. He placed his cup on the end table, taking a seat on the couch. He patted the space beside him but she was already moving to take her place, molding herself into his side. With a soft sigh of contentment, he wrapped an arm around her.

"This is so nice," he moaned before letting out a cleansing breath. "Mmmm. So how was your day?" he asked softly, kissing her on top of her head. She smiled at the feeling, nuzzling into his shoulder even more.

"It was good. Molly has been bouncing off the walls all morning, but it's fun to see her excitement." Sarah grew quiet for a moment, playing with the bottom hem of Chuck's shirt. "I wish I could give her so much more for Christmas. I just love to see her face light up when she sees her presents. Here at least she'll be able to see them under a tree for the first time in a while. I have to say, this Christmas, being here with you and your family, it's shaping up to be the best Christmas we've ever had. So, thank you."

"Are you kidding? I should be thanking you. Ever since that Sunday dinner, we've all been so excited to have you guys here. Ellie's been planning and preparing non-stop. She's been, dare I say… giddy. For so long it's just been the two of us. We barely scraped by sometimes, so it wasn't so much about the gifts at Christmas, but being able to spend time with each other. Now, while we are a little more fortunate, we still cherish spending time with each other on Christmas. It's made so much better when we can share it with those we care about, like Devon… and you and Molly." Chuck trailed off, growing silent for a moment as they enjoyed the closeness between them.

"I… I know that things are… tough right now. I've observed some things, picked up on a few comments you've made and some stuff that Molly's said." Sarah raised her head to look at him, a stricken look on her face. Chuck squeezed her hand and gave her a soft smile. "Just as you want more for her, she wants more for you too, so don't be angry with her. She worries about you. I only bring it up to say this... I have every confidence that you can weather any storm, overcome any obstacle that life puts in front of you. You are a strong, intelligent, amazing woman, and we both know you'll do anything for that little girl in there. I just hope you know… you don't have to weather that storm alone anymore. I'll help you however I can, if you'll let me." Sarah fought back the tears that threatened to escape. This amazing man always seemed to know the right words to say to crush any defenses she might try to put up. Sarah opened her mouth to speak several times, but she was having a hard time finding the words.

"Look. I know you'd never accept a hand out from anyone. It's also hard to ask for help sometimes. I get that, believe me, I understand. But let me ask you this, if you had the means and say… Ellie or ... myself… what if we were in your situation? What would you do? Would you sit by idly and watch as we struggled? Wouldn't you want to do anything and everything you could for the people you care about?" Sarah could only look down at her hands that were now folded in her lap. She knew he was right. Over these past almost two weeks, she had grown to care so much for Ellie and Devon. Their outpouring of love and kindness toward her and Molly was far beyond anything she ever received from her biological family growing up. Having been on her own for so long, she wasn't accustomed to asking for help. Hell, there was nobody in her life to ask help from… until now. He could see she was struggling and didn't want to put pressure on her, especially today.

"How about something simple like… taking Molly for the day. You know. Give you a chance to work in peace and quiet for a change or just … just have some time to yourself. When was the last time you had any time for yourself?" He craned his neck down to capture her gaze. She turned to look at him, a sheepish grin on her face.

"You'd… you'd really do that? You wouldn't mind?" Chuck gave a shocked expression, almost affronted, but the light in his eyes showed it was all in jest.

"Are you kidding?! I'd love to. Hell, I'm sure Ellie would fight me for the opportunity to spend time with Molly. I … we love that little girl, just as much as we love you. We're always here for you, whatever you need. Like I said before, you're part of the Bartowski family now, whether you like it or not." Sarah gave him a tight smile, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She mouthed a 'Thank you', not trusting her voice. He pulled her into a hug, warm and soft. She could never remember a time in her life when she'd felt so loved.

"Um… I have something else I wanted to talk to you about. Promise me you won't be angry with me?" Chuck looked at her sheepishly, wincing slightly, as if bracing himself.

"Well, I'll try, but without knowing what it is, I can't make any promises." She gave him a raised eyebrow, curious what he was up to.

"Alright. Fair enough. So, after our conversation at Chuck E. Cheese the other night, I …. I did some looking. Let's just say that I'm really, really good at finding things online. Even things that people don't want to be found." Her eyes were starting to widen as he spoke, seeming to become more and more intrigued. "Anyway. The point is … I found her." He sat quiet staring into her eyes, trying to gauge her reaction. All he saw was confusion.

"Found 'her'? Found who?" She asked, her brow furrowing.

"Emma Walker, err, Davis now." Her eyes grew wide as saucers when he spoke the name. "I found your mother, Sarah." She covered her mouth for a moment, shock evident on her face.

"What?..." she breathed out, barely audible if he weren't so close to her.

"She's living in Oxnard. She remarried but was divorced some years ago. I explained things to her in general terms-"

"Wait, what? You… you talked to my mother?" The tears in her eyes and the look of anger that flared across her face gave Chuck pause. He was hoping this would be a happy occasion, but he had tried to prepare himself for the chance that this would not go as well as he had hoped.

Sarah leapt from the couch, pacing like a caged animal, clearly fuming. Before Chuck could muster the courage to speak up, she whirled on him.

"You talked to my mother!?" she shouted. He wasn't certain if it was a question or not, but the look on her face made it clear it was rhetorical either way. Chuck swallowed thickly, taken aback by her expression of anger. "You had no right-" she continued, her voice cracking as she aimed a trembling, dagger-like finger at him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her bottom lip quivering. She took in a ragged breath as if to continue.

"Mommy?" came a timid voice from the entrance to the living room. They both turned to see Molly standing there, a terrified look on her face. Sarah quickly turned away, trying to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Chuck could see that Sarah was very shaken, so he moved to intercept Molly to give her some time to compose herself.

"Hey, Molly," he called out, moving to kneel in front of her. The little girl peered around him to catch a glimpse of her mother before looking back at Chuck.

"Why's Mommy yelling at you?" she asked innocently, tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes.

"Well, just like kids, sometimes adults do stuff they aren't supposed to, like doing things without asking first. Does that ever happen to you?" Molly nodded, her expression turning to one of commiseration. "Yeah. Well, I did something without asking and your mommy has a right to be mad at me. And just like when you get in trouble, I have to accept my punishment so I can learn not to do that anymore. Right?" Again, the little girl nodded her assent, putting her hand on his shoulder. Chuck glanced at her hand quizzically before returning his gaze to the little girl.

"Don't worry, Chuck. Mommies get mad sometimes, but she still loves you," her consoling tone making her sound wise beyond her years. She leaned in a little closer, although her whispering was easily loud enough for all to hear. "Just tell her you're sorry and you won't do it again. And if you get sent to your room, I'll be in there and we can play with your dolls together." Chuck bit his bottom lip to prevent from smiling. After a moment he was able to put on a serious face, the gravity of the situation making that rather easy.

"Thanks Molly. I appreciate that. You go ahead and go back to playing so your Mommy and I can finish talking. OK?" She nodded but looked past him again.

"Don't be too mad Mommy. Tomorrow's Christmas. He can't be grounded for Christmas." With that she turned and jogged back to Chuck's room to resume her playing. As he watched her go, he caught Ellie standing in the hallway, leading against the wall. She gave him a tight smile, her arms crossed, hugging her body. He returned the tight smile and slowly pushed himself up to his feet. Ellie turned to head into Chuck's room, pulling the door closed behind her.

Sarah had been listening to the entire exchange, once again marveling at how he seemed to always know just what to say, especially to Molly. She noticed, too, that he was accepting the blame for his wrongdoing, not putting the outburst on her. Her knee jerk reaction had been to be angry that he would reach out to her mother without asking her first, but, recalling the earlier conversation Chuck referenced, she had told him that she wished she had her mother around when Molly was a baby, wished that she could have had the time to seek her out. Now he had done that very thing for her and she was screaming at him for it. There were a myriad of emotions fighting for dominance in her heart and mind, perhaps the strongest of them being fear. She was so scared that, after all this time, the truth would be what she feared most. What if her mother didn't want to see her or be part of her life? She knew that Chuck did this from a place of love, and unfortunately her initial response had been driven by fear. Now guilt was eating at her for having yelled at him for simply being the kind, caring person that he was. Though she was apprehensive about the whole situation, she at least owed it to him to hear him out. Hugging herself, she turned to see him pulling himself to his feet before moving back into the living room. His gaze met hers and she could see the hurt and regret painted across his face. He was so terrible at hiding his emotions, but she loved knowing that she would never have to figure out what Chuck was feeling.

"So…. you… you talked to my mother?" This time, the tone was much softer, a question searching for an answer. Chuck was silent for a moment, moving closer to her but giving her some space.

"I… I did. I only gave her very limited information. I made it clear that you knew nothing about my call. I told her that you had discovered her letters but you didn't know where to begin looking for her, if she even wanted to be found." He paused, waiting for some sort of response, some more yelling perhaps. Her eyes were searching everywhere and nowhere, deep in thought about the news. Finally, she brought her gaze back to Chuck, giving him a look that seemed to beg him to go on.

"Well, she … she cried for a few minutes." Chuck choked out, causing Sarah's tears to well up again as she sniffled, desperately trying to hold back a sob. He cleared his throat, trying to collect himself to continue. "She asked a million questions, like how you were, if you were OK, were you happy, that sort of thing. I only told her that you were doing well, keeping it simple. Before I could even ask the question, she wanted to know if she could see you, if you wanted to see her." Sarah covered her mouth with both hands, unable to speak at the moment.

"I told her the purpose of my call was to find out if she would be willing to meet you, before I ever brought up the subject with you. Obviously, she was eager, though she did express some reservations."

"Wh-what reservations?" Sarah asked in a ragged voice, still struggling with her emotions.

"She was fearful that you would hate her, that you wouldn't want to talk to her or see her. I told her that I could only ask, but the decision was yours. She understood and didn't want to push you if you weren't ready. She… she wanted me to tell you that, no matter what you decide, she's always been thinking about you and loves you very much." It was at those words that Sarah lost her battle with her emotions, barking out a sob, covering her face. Chuck still wanted to give her some space, but he moved in close enough to rubbed her arm, attempting to offer her some comfort without smothering her. She pulled herself together and began pacing the living room again. She didn't say anything, just paced, running her hands through her hair. She stopped, facing the Christmas tree, her hands locked in her hair.

'Why?" she asked. Sarah turned around to face Chuck, looking lost, hurt. "Why did she let me go? Why didn't she come find me?"

"I… I don't know. She didn't say and I didn't think it my place to ask. I figured, if you met with her, you two could discuss that." He paused for a moment, looking down at the coffee table. "Sarah, I'm so sorry I went behind your back on this. I hope you can forgive me. I wanted to save you further heartache if she didn't want to see you. I didn't want you to have to go through that." He lifted his gaze to meet hers, pleading for her understanding. She gave him a small smile that only lasted a moment before her expression turned serious again.

"But… she wants to see me? And Molly?" She looked hopeful but apprehensive as she awaited his response.

"I didn't mention anything about Molly or where you lived or worked. That's your story to tell, not mine. I didn't even tell her what our relationship is. Not that I don't want her to know," he rushed out. "I just … I didn't want to offer her more information than you were willing to share. I only gave her my first name and my phone number. That's it." He gulped visibly but walked to face her, taking her hands in his.

"The ball's in your court, Sarah. Whatever you want to do, I'll support you one hundred percent." She lifted her gaze to meet his, searching his eyes. Her anger seemed to give way to fear and doubt, he body slumping.

"What should I do? I … I always thought I knew what I'd do or say if this moment ever came, but now that it's actually here..." He squeezed her hands and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"I can't tell you what you should do. I can tell you that if I had a chance to see my parents again, I would take it. If I didn't, the not knowing, the 'what if' would eat me alive." She averted her gaze to stare at his chest.

"I don't know if I could face her alone. What if we don't connect or what if it's just too awkward? What do I say?" Sarah shook her head, fighting with her fears.

"What if we invited her here? It's fairly neutral ground. You would have all of us around to run interference if things get awkward. The gifts, the food, the festivities can all serve as a distraction if needed, putting less pressure on the two of you." He craned his neck down to look into her eyes, hoping to gauge her reaction. She met his gaze, a look of disbelief on her face.

"Here? For Christmas?" Chuck just nodded, waiting for her to give the word. She pondered the idea for a few minutes before looking into his eyes again. "I haven't spent a Christmas with my mom in twenty years." Her eyes became glassy at the thought.

"Do you want me to call her? Do you want her here for Christmas?" Chuck held her gaze as he watched the swirl of emotions in her deep blue eyes. The tears began to fall as she nodded her head, her lips pouting slightly. She looked so child-like and innocent at that moment that Chuck couldn't help but wrap her in a hug. After they both shed a few more tears, she pulled away, a smile on her face.

"What I got you for Christmas seemed inadequate before all this. I have no idea what I could give you to come close to matching this." She sniffed, wiping away the tears as she chuckled. Chuck placed a hand on each cheek, pulling her attention to him.

"Last night, when you told me you loved me, that was the greatest gift I could've ever hoped for. If anything, it's I that still has some catching up to do." He leaned in and kissed her sweetly, still gently cupping her cheeks. He pulled away, brandishing his signature smile, the one that caused the fluttering in her stomach.

"How about you go and check on Molly and I'll make a phone call? Then we can snuggle on the couch, maybe have some hot chocolate and watch some Christmas movies." Sarah returned the smile and nodded in agreement, giving him a kiss before separating.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Wait. So, she's coming here?! On Christmas Day? I … I don't have enough food! Plus she won't have any presents to open and that'll be awkward. We'll all be in our pajamas and-"

"EL!" He shouted, grabbing her firmly by the shoulders. "Breathe! It'll all be fine. You always make enough food to feed an army, so one more person isn't going to matter. As for gifts, I've taken care of that. So relax. If we freak out, imagine how Sarah's gonna feel." Ellie slumped, letting out a sigh of resignation, nodding her agreement.

"You're right. You're right. I can't believe you did this for her. You did good, Chuck. I'm so excited that we get to be a part of this moment. I just hope things work out for them. She deserves it, if anyone does." She leaned in and gave her brother a hug. "OK. Now get out of my kitchen. I need to finish making dinner." They both chuckled as Chuck left to find Sarah. He found her on the couch with the remote, scrolling through the list of movies.

'Oooo! Muppet Christmas Carol! Can we watch it? Can we watch it?" Chuck exclaimed from behind the couch, nearly sending Sarah through the roof.

"Oh my God. Seriously? You scared the hell out of me," Sarah chuckled, holding her hand to her chest. "And how old are you? The Muppet Christmas Carol? Really?" She gave him an incredulous look, shaking her head at him.

"Hey. Don't dis on the Muppet Christmas Carol. I have no doubt that if Charles Dickens were alive today, this would be the preferred interpretation." He plopped down beside Sarah, feigning indignation. She couldn't help but laugh out loud at his antics, falling into him. He had a hard time holding back a chuckle as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. She let out a long sigh, snuggling into him.

"OK, you big baby. We'll watch your silly movie." She giggled at his mock pouting and pressed play, setting the remote on the coffee table. They both shifted on the couch, Chuck with his back into the corner, one leg stretched along the couch and Sarah lying on her side, her head on his chest. She nuzzled into him, one hand interlaced with his, the other tucked between her knees. She hummed in contentment as his free hand stroked her hair soothingly. They'd been laying there for a few minutes as the opening credits of the movie started when they heard a galloping entering the room. As they suspected, Molly dropped to the floor in front of them, her face alight with excitement.

"Can I watch with you guys?" Sarah chuckled, smoothing her daughter's hair with her free hand.

"Of course you can watch, Sweetie." Seeing the look on Molly's face, Sarah could tell what she really wanted. Sarah raised her arm and scooted as far back and she could, allowing Molly to climb onto the couch in front of her mother. Sarah pulled her in tight and looked up at Chuck to see if he minded. The beaming smile on his face was all the answer she needed, and it warmed her heart. This was what she wanted for her daughter, and for herself too if she were honest. Something so basic as snuggling on the couch to watch a movie as a … a family. She could see this being a regular occurrence, and the thought brought a smile to her face. Sure, their relationship was new and it may be premature to start thinking of futures, but she could see this in a future with him.

Sarah and Molly couldn't hold in their giggles as Chuck sang along with all of the songs. Sarah couldn't help but be moved by his unbridled enthusiasm for everything he did. He didn't care if he seemed goofy or nerdy, and she found she loved him even more because of it. As the closing credits rolled, they three of them found themselves singing along to the song. With the final 'It feels like Christmas' Ellie called over the back of the couch.

"Dinner's ready you bunch of goofballs," she chided playfully. With that, Molly jumped off the couch, racing to the dining room. Sarah and Chuck were close behind, chuckling as they watched her go. When Molly reached the table she was expecting a big, fancy meal like the last time, but instead there were sandwiches on the plates, with chips and mixed fruit on the table. When she got a closer look she let out a gasp in excitement.

"Are those Sloppy Joes?!" Her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I forgot to mention our Christmas Eve tradition. Since we do a fancy meal on Thanksgiving and Christmas, we go super casual with Sloppy Joes. I hope that's alright?" Chuck looked a little apologetic.

"If you weren't Molly's favorite people already, this certainly would cement the deal," Sarah reassured them, gesturing toward her daughter.

"Sloppy Joes are my favoritest!" she exclaimed. "It's my two favorite parts of a hamburger, all mixed together. The hamburger and the ketchup." Everyone had a chuckle as they sat down to eat. They made small talk throughout dinner, staying clear of the topic of Sarah's mother. Sarah had not said anything to Molly yet and was going to play things by ear tomorrow. She didn't want to get the little girl's hopes up if things weren't going to work out.

After the dinner dishes were cleaned up, Ellie called from the kitchen, "Who wants to bake cookies for Santa? Anyone?" The gasp from Molly threatened to suck the curtains off the windows.

"ME! Me. Me. Me. I wanna help. Can I Mommy? Please?" She was tugging on Sarah's sleeve bouncing in place like she was doing the pee pee dance.

"Yes. Yes. You can help. Holy Cow... Just make sure you listen to Ellie and do what she says." She laughed as her daughter scurried to the kitchen, half expecting a trail of smoke in her wake.

"What? You don't want to make cookies with us?" Chuck asked her with a pouty look on his face.

"R-really? Um… yeah, actually, I would. If I won't be in the way." Without another word, Chuck took her hand and guided her into the kitchen. With Molly's help, Ellie rolled out the sugar cookie dough and everyone got to choose which cookie cutters they wanted to use. As one would expect, flour was tossed around 'accidentally', resulting in Chuck having flour on his nose, eyebrows, and bangs. Everyone had a good laugh at his expense, even Chuck himself. While the cookies baked, they cleaned up the kitchen island to make room to place the cooling rack. Once the oven timer signaled the cookies were done, they were placed on the cooling racks. While they waited for them to cool down, Ellie pulled out a large bowl of white icing that she had made ahead of time and transferred small amounts into bowls for everyone. Each of them chose a different bottle of food coloring and tinted their frosting, stirring it well to get a consistent color throughout. Chuck and Ellie had done this sort of thing years ago, but with Sarah, and especially Molly here, it was so much more fun.

"OK guys," Ellie interrupted, gaining their attention. "I have eleven different kinds of sprinkles, so once you get your cookies iced, you can decorate them however you want and put them back on the cooling rack. Then we each get to pick our favorite one and put them on a plate to leave for Santa." Molly gasped and then a panicked look overtook her face.

"What's the matter, Sweetie?" Sarah asked, rubbing her daughter's back.

"Will Santa know where to find me? What if he leaves my presents at the apartment? I won't have anything to open." Her eyes were starting to tear up at the terrifying realization. Before Sarah could come up with a believable response, Chuck jumped in and tried to set her at ease.

"I've got it all taken care of, Molly. No need to worry. See," Chuck leaned in conspiratorially, looking both directions to ensure the 'coast was clear', "I called the Santa Hotline and had them double-check the list and you know what?" Shaking her head, Molly stood in wide-eyed fascination, Sarah and Ellie as well. "Well, it turns out, the address on the list … was already changed to this apartment." Molly took in a quiet gasp and Chuck could swear he heard another as well. He just nodded his head in confirmation. "That's right. It's true what they say. 'He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake.' Santa's been keeping an eye on you and knew you would be here on Christmas." Molly let out a long breath, visibly relaxing as she got back to the decorating task at hand.

Chuck looked around the kitchen, catching Ellie's broad smile and approving nod. He smiled in return, but was unexpectedly pulled out of the kitchen. He was dragged into the hallway before he realized what was happening. Sarah spun him around and pushed him, rather forcibly, against the wall. Like a flash, her mouth was on his in a searing kiss, her hands still pressed against his chest, holding him to the wall. Chuck lost track of time and space, only recognizing the sense of loss when Sarah pulled away from the kiss. He shook himself, trying to regain his focus, only to find himself still face to face with the mesmerizing and intense stare of Sarah Walker. He instinctively gulped, understanding how a gazelle must feel before a pride of lions.

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" Sarah questioned in a hushed tone, her gaze still predatory. Chuck looked on in surprise, shaking his head but not understanding what was going on. "You keep saying and doing these things that are driving me absolutely crazy. I'm trying to take things slow here Chuck, but it's been a long … long time… and if you don't stop … let's just say that Santa isn't going to want to see that when he comes down the chimney." A salacious grin began to spread across her face, the heat rising up Chuck's neck to his ears. She took a cleansing breath to collect herself before continuing.

"What you did in there for Molly was very sweet. I really appreciate you making the extra effort for her." Sarah rose up on her tiptoes, giving him a short, gentle kiss.

"I don't think of it as an 'extra' effort. It's no less than she deserves. I adore Molly and I want to see her happy." He gave Sarah a smile, a glint in his eye. "Besides, you haven't seen anything yet." He leaned down, planting a chaste kiss on her lips then gesturing toward the kitchen with his head. She chuckled at him then sighed, shaking her head in contented resignation. She followed him back to the kitchen where Ellie and Molly were hard at work decorating their cookies. Molly's face lit up when she saw them.

"Chuck, did you fall again?" Molly asked incredulously, eliciting a confused look in return. "It sounded like you fell in the hallway. You OK?" Ellie couldn't stop her snort in time, ineffectually covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Sarah snorted as well, though a blush was starting to creep up her neck. Chuck was red to his ears, stammering to answer the question.

"Oh. Uh... Y-yeah. You know me. Always falling or running into ... stuff." He gave both the women in the room a mock glare which only served to make them snicker. "How about you show me how you're coming with those cookies, Molly?" With the change of subject, the incident was forgotten and Molly happily explained her cookie decorating technique and design choices as he leaned over her. He gave the young girl his undivided attention, which she seemed to eat up. Once all of Molly's cookies were decorated, Chuck and Sarah asked Molly to help them with theirs, deferring to her 'superior decorating abilities'. Sarah stole glances at Chuck and Molly just as frequently as Chuck stole glances of his own. All the while, Ellie was looking on in delight. She was so overcome with joy at seeing things come together, not just for her little brother, but for Sarah and Molly. After all of the things they had both been through in their lives, they deserved to find happiness. That they had found it in each other, that was just icing on the cake.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Evening was approaching, Molly's bedtime looming. They all sat in the living room, soft Christmas music playing in the background while a roaring fire blazed on the big screen TV. Ellie pulled out of Devon's arms and slid to the floor, crawling to the tree where a number of gifts waited beneath.

"OK. We have a tradition that everyone gets to open one present on Christmas Eve. How does that sound?" Ellie looked at Molly, expecting to see excitement and was not disappointed. She looked through the gifts and pulled one out, reading the label aloud. "To Molly." She held the present out and the little girl bounded from the couch to collect her gift then immediately returned to her mother's side to show her.

"Look Mommy. Who's it from?" She raised the package up for her mother to see.

"To: Molly. From: Ellie and Devon," Sarah read aloud. She turned to Ellie and gave her an appreciative smile, her eyes becoming a little glassy. Ellie returned the smile and just nodded.

"Well… go ahead and open it," Ellie urged, gesturing toward the present. Molly wasted no time tearing the paper off to reveal the box inside. Lifting the lid and spreading the tissue paper, she gaped at the contents. She pulled out and unfolded a pair of red, footed, onesie pajamas with rows of different sized white snowflakes, creating a decorative alternating pattern.

"I got Christmas jammies!" she shouted, bouncing in her seat. Before Sarah could remind her to thank Ellie for the gift, the little girl raced to Ellie, wrapping her in a bear hug, nearly knocking the older woman over. "Thank you Ellie. I love 'em." Ellie hugged the little girl in return, patting her on the back.

"Oh you're very welcome, sweetheart. I'm glad you like it." Molly pulled away from Ellie and joined Devon on the loveseat, giving him a hug as well, offering her thanks. He gave a chuckle, surprised by the gesture, but heartily returned the hug. Molly returned to her mother, bouncing with excitement.

"Can I go put them on now, Mommy?" The adults chuckled at her enthusiasm and Sarah invited Molly to sit on her lap.

"How about we watch everyone else open their gifts first, then you can go change and get ready for bed?" The little girl nodded, not seeming too put out. With that, Ellie passed out similar presents to everyone else. As they opened them, Molly began to cheer with excitement.

"We all got matching jammies!" Each person held up their gift in turn. Sarah and Chuck had the footed onesie pajamas, with the same color and pattern as Molly's but with a drawstring hood attached. Ellie and Devon had the same set as Chuck and Sarah but were gray instead of red. They all offered their thanks for Ellie for the wonderful gifts. Chuck turned his gaze to Sarah, flashing her his brilliant smile. That smile never ceased to send a warmth through her. She leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss, returning a brilliant smile of her own.

"How about we all go change into our new pajamas?" Chuck asked, looking at Sarah for her opinion. She nodded in agreement and quickly followed after Molly, who was already half-way to Chuck's room, where she would be sleeping that night. The other adults scattered, Chuck to the bathroom, Ellie and Devon to their bedroom. Ten minutes later, they were all back in the living room, snuggled into their new Christmas pajamas. Chuck switched out the digital fireplace for the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", giving them a short Christmas show to watch before Molly's bedtime. When all the Whos in Whoville finished the closing song, Chuck switched it back to the fireplace video.

"Alright Molly, I think it's time. How about we get our plate of cookies and milk ready for Santa?" Molly nodded enthusiastically, bouncing into the kitchen to begin her selection. Everyone followed suite, Ellie pulling out a Christmas plate with matching mug from a high cabinet.

"Alright. Everyone gets to pick out their favorite cookie and add it to the plate for Santa," Ellie chimed in, gesturing for Molly to begin. The little girl tapped on her chin as she looked over the spread of cookies, trying to make her choice. Finally, she chose one of her creations, covered edge to edge in sprinkles. In turn, each person chose a cookie to add to the plate. Just as Ellie was about to lift the plate to carry to the living room, Chuck called out.

"Hey wait! Hold on. You forgot something." He closed the refrigerator door, holding a bag of baby carrots. "The reindeer need a snack too." Molly let out an exasperated sigh, smacking herself on the forehead.

"I completely forgot. Good job, Chuck," Molly commended him. The adults did their best to hold in their laughter at Molly's comment, but Chuck made no outward show, other than a warm smile directed at Molly. He helped her to dig out carrots from the bag. She counted out eight, placing them around the plate, in between the cookies.

"Um… aren't you forgetting someone?" Chuck inquired. Molly counted on her fingers as she went through the reindeer names.

"Dasher… Dancer… Prancer… Vixen … Comet … Cupid… Donner aaaand … Blitzen. Eight. Santa and his eight reindeer." She held up her fingers to show Chuck. He gave her a nod, indicating his approval, then he began to sing.

"But do you recall? The most famous reindeer of all..." Without having to sing another word she shouted 'Rudolph', throwing her hands in the air. She seemed exasperated with herself, shaking her head. Chuck just smoothed back her hair, chuckling at her antics. Molly took out another carrot, adding it to the plate.

"OK. Now it's ready," Molly declared. Ellie went to reach for the plate again, but stopped herself.

"How about you carry the plate and I'll carry the milk? How does that sound?" The little girl happily nodded, gingerly taking the plate in both hands as she slowly walked to the living room. She gently placed the plate on the coffee table, Ellie setting the matching mug of milk beside it. Satisfied with the display, Molly nodded her head in approval. She turned to face her mother with a sheepish look on her face.

"Mommy, could I have a minute to um… talk with Santa, before I go to bed?" Sarah looked a little puzzled as to what she meant by 'talk with Santa' but she wanted to be supportive.

"OK, Sweetie. Do you uh… need us to give you a minute?" The little girl nodded, looking a bit embarrassed. Sarah looked between the other adults and they all nodded their understanding.

"We'll go wait in the kitchen. Come see us when you're done, alright?" Molly nodded to her mother and waited for the adults to leave. Their curiosity getting the better of them, they peeked out of the kitchen to see what was going on. Molly kneeled down at the Christmas tree, her hands clasped together as if to pray. The room was so silent that they could just make out what she was saying.

"Santa? It's me. Molly Walker. You remember? From the mall? I wanted to say thank you for getting me almost everything I wanted for Christmas. Thank you for Chuck and Ellie and Devon. Mommy looks so happy now that we finally have a family for Christmas. I know I said I wouldn't ask for a daddy for Christmas this year, 'cause that wouldn't be fair, but… I have a Chuck now and I think that's pretty close. Maybe next year." She paused for a moment, like she was trying to think of what else to say.

"It would still be nice to have some stuff to open in the morning, but if not, that's OK," she confessed, sounding a little dejected. "I left you some milk and cookies. Oh, and carrots for your reindeer. I hope they like 'em. Don't forget, I'm at Chuck's house. I know Chuck said he called you but… you can never be too careful with these things. Have a safe trip tonight and Merry Christmas." She waved at the tree before standing up. She was momentarily distracted by the picture ornament of her and her mother, running her fingers over it gently.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, there was not a dry eye in the place, Devon included. Ellie was an absolute, blubbering mess and Sarah was not much better. Her heart was breaking. Her daughter had asked Santa for a family, and believing that she had already gotten one, she was content to get nothing else for Christmas. What six-year old child would do that? And a father? She saw Chuck in that role, or at least the closest thing she knew to one. Sarah looked through her tears at Chuck, who himself was wiping away tears. Maybe next year?… Maybe.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was nearing 9 o'clock and Chuck was reading Molly "The Night Before Christmas" while Sarah snuggled with her on the bed. All the while he was reading, Molly's earlier conversation with 'Santa' played over in Sarah's mind. Molly had 'a Chuck'. She indeed had 'a Chuck', they both did. She had dreamt of someday finding someone to be a father to her daughter. A good and honest man that would love and support her. She never held out much hope that it would ever happen. She certainly never believed that she could find someone as wonderful as 'their Chuck'. To call him a father was very much premature, but if anyone fit the ideal definition, it was this man. A whirlwind of images played through her mind, inserting Chuck into the milestone moments in Molly's life. She could imagine him holding and rocking her as a baby, her little girl grasping his fingers as she took her first steps. She could picture his smiling face in all of those moments. She wished she could have shared those times with him, but there would be so many more moments that he could be a part of, starting with this moment right now.

The story ended, shaking Sarah from her musings. They tucked Molly in, saying their 'good nights'. Before leaving, Chuck turned on a small desk lap that looked like a 3D rendering of the Death Star. He cycled through the various LED colors and stopped on the lavender, at Molly's request. After giving her one last kiss on the top of her head, he turned out the other lights as they backed out of the room. As Chuck started to make his way down the hall, Sarah took hold of his wrist, making him pause. He turned to face her with a quizzical look.

"About what she said… about a father … and you... " she trailed off, not sure how to phrase what she wanted to say without scaring him.

"Yeah. That. Um… can I be perfectly honest with you?" Sarah's heart sank into her stomach. Nothing good ever followed a phrase like that. It had been too much. She was pushing too hard and was driving him away. Without waiting for her to respond, Chuck continued. "I could think of no greater honor than for that little girl to think of me that way. She means the world to me and... and maybe one day, if her mother hasn't grown tired of me, I'll learn how to fill that role." She captured his gaze and could see the hope and love, in his eyes.

"Chuck…" she cupped his cheek with one hand, never breaking her gaze. "Can't you see that you're already doing it? I mean…" She gestured with her free hand around the apartment, as if it were painfully obvious. "All that you've done for her, the way you treat her, those are the things a father, a good father, would do. I can see it and, most important of all, she can feel it. You're her 'Chuck'." She smiled up at him, her eyes glistening. He smiled in return, swallowing thickly.

"I love you," he whispered, turning his head to kiss her wrist. She lifted her other arm and moved to drape both across his shoulders. She raised up on her tiptoes to within inches of his face.

"I love _you,_" she whispered in reply, closing the distance to punctuate her words with a deep kiss. When she finally pulled away, she made a show of tasting her lips.

"Not bad. I like the chocolate mint kisses better, but that'll do I suppose." A devilish grin spread across her face as she quickly raced to the living room, staying just out of his reach as he tried tickling her sides. She let out a small yelp as he almost got a hold of her before she darted in front of the couch, keeping it between them. A few seconds of back and forth, faking one direction, then the other. Finally, Chuck surprised her by using his long legs to step over the back of the couch and grapple her to the cushions. Her muffled giggles and playful screams soon turned to hums and soft moans as Chuck's mouth found her neck, jawline and a very sensitive spot just below her ear. Just as she was taking in a ragged breath, her eyes closed enjoying his ministrations, they were both pulled back to reality by the sound of rustling paper. Chuck quickly sat up, spying Ellie and Devon carrying presents and gift bags from their bedroom toward them. Chuck and Sarah tried to right themselves on the couch, smoothing down their hair and clothes, as if that would make a bit of difference. Ellie just snorted and shook her head as they entered the living room.

"I swear. You guys are like a couple of teenagers," she teased, placing the load of gifts on the floor. Devon, close behind, added an 'Awesome, Bro.' to make Chuck's embarrassment complete. Sarah opted to let the comments go, more surprised by all the extra gifts they had brought out. There were already plenty of presents under the tree, so the fact that there were nearly as many more being added shocked her.

"Ellie, what is all this?" She questioned, gesturing to piles of gifts.

"They're gifts for you and Molly. There's a couple for fathead over there too," she snickered, gesturing toward Chuck.

"Ellie. You really shouldn't have. You've already-"

"Hey! I finally have a sister and niece for Christmas and dammit I'm going to spoil them. Don't you take this away from me," she mock scolded, pointing a finger at Sarah. Her mouth was agape in surprise at the older woman's words. She tried to form the word as a question, but only 'Si' came out. Ellie took her hand, giving it a squeeze, as she brandished her 'Bartowski smile'. There was so much exchanged between them in just that moment; love, acceptance, belonging, even though not another word was said. Sarah just answered with a bright smile of her own, releasing her hand to offer assistance with putting the presents under the tree.

Once they were finished putting the gifts under and around the tree, she led Chuck to her car to help bring in Sarah's presents for Molly. They placed those among the others and finally sat back to enjoy the scene. Ellie and Devon said their 'good nights' and retired to their room. After nearly five minutes, the silence was broken.

"I have never, in my life, seen a tree with so many presents under it," Sarah confessed, staring at the tree in awe. "It's one of the most beautiful things I think I've ever seen." Her recollections of her early childhood were fuzzy at best. Growing up with her father, rarely did she have a Christmas tree, let alone gifts under it. There had been a few times when she had taken a pine bough, a scrap from a tree lot or something taken from a nearby park, and she would decorate it with handmade, paper ornaments. If only she could go back in time and show that little girl what she had to look forward to. The tears started to streak down her cheeks as she lay in Chuck's arms, a kaleidoscope of colors reflected on them from the tree. Chuck made no mention of the tears, only holding her tighter as they continued to enjoy the moment.

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A/N: Only one more sleep 'til Christmas.

PSA, if you are not already a member, I encourage you to join the "Chuck Fanfiction" group on Facebook. It is an amazing group of authors, readers and then there's me. This group is only for Chuck Fanfiction discussion, as the name suggests. Share links to your own work or discuss your favorite fics. Maybe even post a request or fic challenge to shake things up. Look forward to seeing you there.

Joe


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Christmas morning at Echo Park

Warning! - Do not read this at work or in a public setting. Do not operate heavy machinery while reading this story. A tissue box must be kept nearby if reading beyond the line below.

Many tissues were consumed in the writing of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Chuck, but if there was ever a Christmas wish worth granting… Santa? You listening?

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Chapter 6

Sarah woke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and something baking, cinnamon rolls perhaps? She could feel a tickle on her nose, cracking an eyelid to see a tangled swirl of blonde hair. Molly was snuggled into her mother, still fast asleep, the early morning sunlight just starting to pour into Chuck's bedroom window. She lay there, contented, thinking back to the night before. She and Chuck had snuggled on the couch, alternating between watching Christmas movies and … well, distracting one another from watching Christmas movies. At some point she had fallen asleep on his chest, lulled by the beating of his heart and the rhythm of his breathing. An hour or so later, he gently woke her up so she could join her daughter in his bedroom, while he stayed on the couch. It had truly been a great Christmas Eve, the best she could ever recall.

Her mind drifted to thoughts of what lay in store for her today. She was excited to spend Christmas Day with Chuck and his family. If Christmas Eve was any indicator, they had a marvelous day planned. It was the other surprise for the day that had her more than a little concerned. Her mother, Mom, was going to be here today. She wasn't sure when, but Chuck had mentioned that the presents might serve as a distraction, so perhaps this morning. A knot began to form in her stomach. She had not seen this woman in twenty years. Slowly Molly stirred, stretching and groaning before turning to face her mother. The brilliant smile on her daughter's face warmed her heart, causing her to return the smile in kind.

"Merry Christmas, Sweetie," Sarah whispered, making a futile attempt at brushing some stray hairs behind her daughter's ear. The little girl's eyes grew as big as saucers, taking in a quick breath.

"It's Christmas! Merry Christmas Mommy," she exclaimed, hugging her mother as best she could in her current position. She quickly sat up and looked down at Sarah, the excitement evident on her face. "Can we go see if Santa came?"

"Hold on. Just a minute. I don't know if everyone's up yet, so we need to be quiet. Before we open any presents, we need to eat some breakfast first. Otherwise, you won't want to stop playing with whatever Santa brought you in order to eat." She chuckled at the pouty face and slumped shoulders her daughter gave her but she was not going to give in. The two crawled out of bed, taking turns in the bathroom. Sarah did her best to make them look presentable, while still in their new Christmas pajamas. They quietly made their way down the hallway, where hushed conversation could be heard from the kitchen.

Peering around the corner, Sarah could see Chuck and Ellie leaning on the kitchen island talking, cups of coffee in hand. They were both smiling, but the blush on his face as he ducked his head lead Sarah to conclude that they must have been talking about her. It made her smile to know that she had that effect on him, but she was certain he did the same for her. She cleared her throat before sheepishly entering, trying to make her presence known.

"Morning everyone. Merry Christmas," she offered quietly. Molly parroted the same, though much louder and with much more enthusiasm. Being closest, Ellie kneeled down, opening her arms in offer of a hug, which Molly happily accepted. She then moved to Chuck, who swept her up into a hug, holding her on his hip to look at her, a broad smile plastered across his face.

"Was Santa here? Did he come?" Molly inquired, glancing between Ellie and Chuck, a hopeful look on her face.

"Well, if it's OK with your mom, you'll just have to go take a look." He looked toward Sarah, a smirk on his face. He gave her a wink and waited for her response. Molly clasped her hands together, silently begging her mother. Sarah could see a hint of mischief in his eyes, but eventually nodded her agreement. Chuck set her down and she was off like a shot.

"But no touching the presents until after breakfast!" she called after Molly. Sarah followed her into the living room, Chuck and Ellie close behind. There was an immediate gasp as Molly entered. The fireplace, that was assumed decorative, was in fact ablaze with a small fire. The popping and crackling were evident, but they were the same sounds the digital fireplace made, so one only assumed. Pulling her gaze from the fireplace, Molly examined the plate of cookies she had left for Santa the night before. To her astonishment, most of the cookies had been eaten. Only two remained and one had a large bite taken out of it. All but one of the carrots were missing, it too had been bitten into, large teeth marks left on one end. Sitting beside the plate was a small scroll of paper, tied with a ribbon. Molly marveled at it, lifting the scroll and showing it to her mother. Sarah was equally surprise, sharing a glance with Chuck, who only watched with a joyful look on his face. Molly slid the ribbon off of the rolled piece of paper and then carefully unrolled it.

"Mommy, the words are all squiggly," she groused, turning her head to the side. A small chuckle escaped from the adults as Sarah took the paper from her.

"Let's see. It's from Santa. It says, 'Dear Molly. Thank you for the delicious cookies. I hope you don't mind but I took an extra one home with me to share with Mrs. Claus. The reindeer loved the carrots. That was very thoughtful of you. You were a very good girl this year. I got your message last night. I haven't forgotten what we talked about at the mall. You and-" Sarah stopped for a moment, as the words caught in her throat. She blew out a breath and swallowed hard before continuing. "You and your mommy already have a very special family, just the two of you. However, I see you have found yourself some new family members. I can see that they love you very much. Just remember, sometimes the things we need most, we find when we're not looking." Sarah paused a moment to collect herself, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Clearing her throat again, she continued. "I trust you'll enjoy the presents I left under the tree. Merry Christmas, Molly. Love, Santa." Molly sat beside her mother, mouth agape, as she looked over the letter. Sarah looked at Chuck, and by the glassy sheen of his eyes, could tell that he was just as moved by Molly's reaction. She knew, without a doubt, that this was his doing. He had gone to all of this extra effort once she had gone to bed, solely for the purpose of seeing that smile on her little girl's face.

Molly placed the letter on the table, slid off the couch and crept closer to the tree, looking at all of the presents beneath and around it. It was the most presents she had ever seen under a Christmas tree in her young life. As her gaze panned across the presents, something caught her eye near the fireplace.

At closer inspection, she shouted,. "Mommy! Mommy, look!" She pointed at the hearth in front of the fireplace. Sarah and her daughter looked on in amazement. There, on the hearth, were the unmistakable black, sooty prints of a large boot, the tracks trailing toward the coffee table. The prints ended before they reached the table, the soot having worn off by then. Molly just gaped at her mother, unable to say a word. Sarah was speechless as well, though for different reasons. Clearly, Chuck had been very busy last night. The lengths he went to, just to keep the magic alive for her little girl, were nothing short of miraculous. If there were any doubts before as to whether Chuck could be a father to her little girl, they had vanished completely. Chuck cleared his throat, pulling Sarah from her musings. He pointed to his wrist, mouthing 'twenty minutes'.

In all the excitement of the morning, she nearly forgot that her mother would be here soon to join them for breakfast. Sarah's mood immediately shifted, but she nodded her understanding. Ellie's incredible knack for knowing when to intervene came to the rescue again.

"Hey Molly. Breakfast is going to be a little while in the oven yet. How about we go in my room and watch some Christmas movies while we wait? How does that sound?" Molly's expression brightened, if that were possible, but dimmed ever so slightly as she looked at her mother for approval. Sarah gave her a reassuring smile and kissed her on the head.

"You go ahead. I'm gonna talk with Chuck for a little while." Molly nodded and hurried off with Ellie down the hall.

"I thought you might like some time to change into something a little more… well, let's just say not that," he remarked, gesturing to the matching onesie she was still wearing. She snorted at the comment, looking herself over.

"What's the matter Chuck? You don't like what I have on?" Her emphasis on the 'k' in Chuck, coupled with the salacious grin would normally be enough for his heart to skip a beat. When she 'innocently' began to play with the zipper on her onesie, Chuck began to feel a little light headed, blindly reaching for a counter or piece of furniture to steady himself. The look on his face was priceless, giving a boost to her ego and causing laughter to bubble up from deep within. After a moment she brought herself back under control, giving Chuck some time to regain use of his faculties.

"I suppose this is probably not the first impression I want to make. I'll go change." She stood up from where she had knelt to look at the boot prints and, rather than making her way to the bedroom, she instead went straight for Chuck. She cupped his cheeks and pulled him into a kiss. It was not rushed or filled with passion, but slow, soft and incredibly intimate. When she slowly pulled away, his face was still stuck in their kissing position, his mind and body frozen in the moment. His eyes still closed, he managed to let out a whispered, 'Wow'.

"Merry Christmas, Chuck," she whispered, still close enough that he could feel her breath across his face. He slowly opened his eyes, meeting her gaze with a goofy grin.

"Merry Christmas, Sarah. I love you," he confessed, brushing his nose against hers. She couldn't help but smile, humming in response to his words.

"Love you too. Thank you for all of this. It really is unbelievable."

"The only thanks I need is seeing you and Molly's smiling faces. Those make any amount of effort totally worth it." He kissed her on the tip of her nose and gave her a loving smile. "Now, go get dressed. I should change too, once you're done. I shouldn't answer the door in this either."

"You could uh… come in with me and change?" The devilish grin that appeared on her otherwise innocent face only served to force his eyebrows further into his hairline. He visibly swallowed.

"While that is … incredibly tempting, I'm sure that would be a really bad idea. I struggle to focus when I'm around you as it is." That elicited another laugh from Sarah, as she pulled away fully to make her way to the bedroom.

"Alright. Your loss," she teased over her shoulder as she walked away.

"Believe me. I have no doubt..." he trailed off, watching her leave.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sarah was wearing a path in the living room carpet as she paced back and forth. She was alternating between ringing her hands and biting her nails. Chuck came back into the living room after brewing some fresh coffee and putting on the electric kettle in case anyone wanted tea. He was trying to prepare for Sarah's mother, but in reality, he was trying to busy himself to stave off his own nerves. This had very nearly blown up in his face ,and he wasn't out of the woods yet. What would happen when Emma got here was anyone's guess. He stepped in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her.

"It's gonna be OK, Sarah. Take a big breath and blow it out. Go on…" She rolled her eyes at him but did as he suggested, though somewhat reluctantly. "Alright. Again." She did it again, this time taking it a little more seriously. She voluntarily did it a third time and he could visibly see her relax. "Good. Now, can I get you something? Some coffee, tea..?" Before she could respond, there was a knock at the door. "Hold that thought," he stated, turning to make his way to the door. Sarah grabbed his arm, stopping him before he could even start. With a warm smile, he patted her hand. "It's gonna be fine. I'll be close if you need me." With that, she released her grip and Chuck made his way to the door.

He slowly opened the door, so as not to seem too eager or startle whoever was on the other side. When the door fully opened, he saw the future before him. There stood a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her forties. She looked remarkably like Sarah, with only a few minor differences. He hair was a darker blonde and had a slight wave to it, not straight like Sarah's. She was almost as tall as Sarah and had the same piercing blue eyes. When the woman gave him a tentative smile, he knew beyond a doubt that this was Sarah's mother.

"H-Hi. You must be Mrs. Davis. I'm Chuck. We spoke on the phone." He extended his hand and she took it with her free hand. He realized, only then, that she was carrying a large gift bag. He stepped aside and gestured for her to enter. "Please, Mrs. Davis. Come in." She nodded her assent and stepped into the foyer.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Chuck. Please, call me Emma." He nodded as he held his hands out.

"Let me take your coat and I can set that bag to the side for now." She shed her coat handing it to him. Where he stood he blocked her view into the living room, where Sarah was standing, wracked with nerves. "I'll go hang this up and let you two talk for a bit." He gave Emma a tight smile and then stepped aside. With the way clear, mother and daughter met each other's gaze for the first time in twenty years. As he stepped away to leave the room, he mentally crossed his fingers.

The two stood in silence, staring at one another. Sarah marveled at how much she looked like the woman in her worn-out picture, even with the passage of so much time. Slowly, the older woman began to walk toward her, gradually closing the distance. Sarah could see the woman's face began to contort before her hand covered her mouth. The woman could no longer contain her emotions and began to sob, huge tears spilling down her cheeks. The show of emotions sent Sarah over the edge as well, her shoulders bouncing as she, too, began to sob. As if in sync, the two closed the distance between them. Without a second thought, the two embraced each other in a power hug, sobbing into the other's shoulder. They stayed locked in that embrace for several minutes. Emma brought a hand up to cradle the back of her daughter's head, whispering into her neck.

"Oh, my baby… God I've missed you so much." Their sobs continued for a few more minutes until they finally began to regain some composure, pulling apart from each other. Having thought of everything, Chuck had left a fresh box of tissues on the coffee table. Having fit the very definition of 'ugly crying', both women made use of the tissues, wiping away their tears and blowing their noses. Afterward, when they looked at each other, they both let out a chuckle. They stood for a moment, neither sure what to say. Finally, Emma spoke up to break the silence.

"You've grown into such a beautiful woman. You look really well. Are you doing well?" She winced, inwardly chastising herself. "I'm sorry. I… I don't really know where to start." Sarah nodded her understanding and motioned to the couch.

"How about we have a seat and talk for a little bit?" Emma nodded and sat down near Sarah, but still gave her some space.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me. I realize this must be very hard for you… You must have so many questions. I'm sure you're angry, and rightfully so, but I'd like to answer any questions you have." Her mother sat with her hands folded in her lap, fidgeting with a wadded up tissue.

"I used to be angry with you. For a very long time I wondered what I'd done that you didn't want to be with me anymore. Dad and Grandma always talked about you being a terrible mother and how you didn't want me. I guess that eventually caused me to forget about anything I knew from the past." Sarah took in a ragged breath before she could continue. Emma nodded her understanding, but she was clearly upset, her bottom lip beginning to quiver. Sarah instinctively reached out to place her hand on top of her mother's.

"After Dad died, I found your letters. All the letters and cards you sent me. They had been hidden from me all those years. Dad and Grandma's way of keeping up the lie I suppose. I read them all, every last one." Sarah paused, deep in thought.

"I never heard back, but I never stopped writing to you. I didn't want you to think that I'd given up. When the card I sent for your eleventh birthday was returned, I was crushed. I didn't know how else to reach you." The regret and remorse in her voice was thick.

"That would have been about the time that Grandma Barb passed and Dad sold the house," she confessed. "In your letters, you mentioned you were seeing a doctor. You said you were getting better. Were… were you sick?" Emma pursed her lips and nodded.

"I was young when you were born, just barely eighteen. I hardly knew how to take care of myself, let alone a baby. Your father and I weren't married yet, not for another year after that. He got work doing sales, so he traveled a lot, all over southern California. I was alone, scared and really struggled. Back then, they didn't really talk about it but I had what they call postpartum depression. Jack's mom, your Grandma Barb, used to tell me that I just needed to toughen up, always telling me how much tougher she had it when she had kids. I did my best to push through it and try to be a good mother to you. As time went on, I got better, but there were still times where I would slip into depression." She paused for a moment to collect herself. Sarah's hand was still on top of her mother's and she gave her a squeeze. Emma gave her a tight smile and continued.

"When you were about seven, I slipped into a deep depression. Money was tight, your father was rarely home, so I was raising you by myself. Things between your father and I were not great, but that most recent bout of depression sent him over the edge. I had gone to the doctor because I wasn't eating or sleeping and had no energy. While I was there, your father packed up your things and left. He left a note, telling me what an unfit wife and mother I was. That was the last day I ever say you. September 24th, 1999. It was a Friday and it rained… I remember because I sat on the front step of our apartment and cried in the pouring rain for hours." Tears were streaming down both of their cheeks as she told the tale. Sarah leaned into her mother and wrapped her in a hug.

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry. I had no idea." Emma pulled away and met Sarah's gaze.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You were just a little girl. How could you have known? If I could have gotten help sooner…" she trailed off.

"Don't think that way. Don't do that to yourself. I've known a lot of women through my job that have gone through the same types of things you did. The difference is that now they have services to help those women. Depression goes largely undiagnosed and untreated, and was much worse when you were my age. You were expected to 'cheer up' or suck it up. But you… you got help for it? You said you were seeing a doctor?"

"I did. I called the police after your father left with you. I kept hounding them and hounding them for information. One of the officers I spoke with regularly must have recognized some symptoms and recommended a psychiatrist. I couldn't afford to see him, but he volunteered his services to a women's shelter. With therapy and the help of some medications, I was able to turn things around. I went back to school and got my nursing degree. Once I finally had a job, I spent whatever money I could save to hire investigators to look for you. Your father kept moving, so it was hard to track him down. All the while, the only thing I could do was send cards and letters to the one place I thought you might get them. Knowing now that you never got those letters breaks my heart. Baby, I'm so sorry…" The two women hugged, holding each other for a long while, saying nothing.

As the pulled apart, Emma blew out a long breath. "So… This Chuck? He's … a friend of yours?" She gave her daughter a warm smile. Sarah let out a chuckle, figuring this topic would come up.

"He is a friend. Well, he's more than a friend, as I'm sure you guessed. We just started dating a little over a week ago, so it's very new."

"Really? Only a week? The way he talked about you on the phone… I was sure it was much longer than that." That caused Sarah to blush and her mother to chuckle. "What about you? How are you, Sarah? You do still go by Sarah?"

"Yes. Still Sarah. I'm… I'm good. Well, I've had some rocky moments in my life, but things are definitely looking up. I went to USC and got my bachelor's degree and right now I work for Safe Harbor, which is a non-profit that raises money for women's shelters, that sort of thing."

"Wow. That's great, Honey. I'm… I'm so proud of you. You've grown to be an amazing woman." She gave her daughter an adoring smile, reaching out and squeezing her hand. Sarah returned the smile but grew quiet.

"M-mom? Is…. is it OK if I call you 'Mom'?" Sarah asked sheepishly.

"Oh, Baby, of course. You can call me whatever you're comfortable with. But I really like 'Mom'. I've… I've waited a really long time to hear you call me that again." Both women's eyes became glassy as they smiled at one another. Sarah took in a deep cleansing breath and blew it out. She took out her phone and sent a text. Putting her phone away, she stood and offered her hand to her mother. The older woman took it and stood, following Sarah's lead.

"I have someone I'd really like for you to meet." They stood at the edge of the living room and waited. A moment later, Chuck's bedroom door opened and Ellie exited and stepped out of the way, motioning for someone to follow. When the little blonde haired girl stepped into the hallway, Emma let out a gasp, covering her mouth with both hands. The older woman's shoulders bounced as she sobbed. As the little girl tentatively approached, Emma regained enough composure to speak.

"It's my little Sarah," she whispered, unable to speak any louder. Sarah wrapped an arm around her mother, pulling her close. She too was overcome with emotion, tears streaming down her face. Molly looked between the two women with concern as she continued to approach. Sarah crouched down to be on Molly's level and opened her arms, gesturing for her daughter to come in for a hug. She gave her little daughter a hug and wiped at the tears on her cheeks.

"It's OK, Sweetie. They're not sad tears. I wanted you to meet somebody. Molly, this is my mommy, your Grandma Emma. Mom, this is Molly." Emma beamed down at the little girl, eventually crouching down to be at her level. Molly looked at her mother then back at Emma, an expression of disbelief.

"Really?" she quietly asked, a look of hope beginning to spread across her face. Sarah nodded, giving her a bright smile. Molly's expression quickly changed, her eyes welling up and her lip beginning to quiver. "I-I have a grandma?" Sarah barked out a sob as she nodded to her daughter, only able to mouth the word, 'Yes'. With that revelation, Molly dove at her grandmother, wrapping her in the tightest hug she could muster. Emma hugged her granddaughter tightly, rocking her from side to side as they cried together. Sarah joined in on the hug, wrapping her arms around the two of them. After a moment, hearing additional sniffling, Sarah lifted her gaze to see Chuck standing in the hallway with his arm wrapped around Ellie. Ellie was a blubbering mess, and Chuck was not much better, as the siblings tried to comfort each other. Sarah, laughing through her tears, waved the pair over, inviting them to join them. She pulled away and stood, wiping away tears.

"Mom, I'd like you to formally meet Chuck, my boyfriend, and his sister Ellie," Sarah declared, gesturing to the siblings. Emma stood, still holding Molly in her arms.

"It's wonderful to meet you both. Thank you so much for inviting me into your home. And Chuck… I don't… I don't know how to begin to thank you. I never thought I'd see my baby girl again," she confessed, giving Sarah a loving smile. "Now, not only do I have _my_ baby girl, but _her _baby girl too." Emma kissed Molly on the head, tears of joy still pooled in her eyes. "This is the greatest gift I could have wished for." Sarah pulled her mother and daughter into a one armed hug, leaning her head on Molly's shoulder.

"Mrs. Da- err- Emma… it really was my pleasure. Family is very important to us." Chuck stole a glance at his sister, who was nodding in assent. "I wanted to give Sarah and Molly every chance for happiness. I know that if there was a chance for us to see our parents again, I would want to take that chance." Everyone grew quiet, reflecting on the events of the morning. Suddenly, Molly let out a gasp, her face lit up with excitement.

"Santa did it!" she exclaimed, startling everyone. They looked on in confusion, unsure what she was referring to.

"Did what Sweetie?" Sarah asked.

"He found Grandma. I told him I wanted a family for Christmas. I thought that Chuck and Ellie and Devon were my family present, but he brought Grandma too. He just showed Chuck where to find her." Her explanation brought a smile to their faces, everyone seeming to be in agreement that it was possible.

"I think you could be right, Molly," Chuck interjected. "Santa can sure work a lot of magic at Christmas." Molly emphatically nodded, eliciting a chuckle from the adults. "You know what else is Christmas magic?" Molly's eyes grew wide with anticipation as she shook her head. Chuck paused for dramatic effect before divulging his secret. "Ellie's cinnamon rolls!" With that, everyone burst into laughter.

"Speaking of which, they should be ready any minute, if we'd all like to have a seat at the table. The sooner we eat breakfast, the sooner we can get to those presents over there," Ellie announced. With that, Molly gave a cheer and they all headed for the dining area.

'What about Devon? Is he up yet?" Sarah asked.

"Devon got called in early this morning for emergency surgery. He texted me a few minutes ago that he was leaving the hospital and would be home soon, but to go ahead without him," Ellie replied, pulling the trays of cinnamon rolls out of the oven. Chuck brought the pot of coffee and a number of mugs to the table.

"Who needs coffee?"

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Breakfast was finished and Molly was impatiently waiting for the adults to finish their conversations, swinging her legs and periodically letting out a small sigh. There were presents to open but they just kept talking and talking. Sensing her frustration, her grandmother spoke up.

"I think that Molly would prefer if we moved this to the living room. I suspect that someone is eager to open some presents." The older woman reached over, brushing the little girls hair back. Everyone agreed and began shuffling to the living room. Devon, who had made it in time for breakfast, took up a spot on the love seat, while Molly sat between Sarah and Emma on the couch. Chuck sat in the armchair nearby, with a warmth inside as he watched the reunited family eagerly await their gifts. Emma was completely focused on Molly, hanging on her every word.

"Alright everyone. Our tradition is to pass out gifts and open them one at a time, that way everyone can see what the other got, etc." Ellie began, crouching down beside the tree. "Seeing as Molly seems to have quite a few presents to get through, maybe we can change things up and have her open one in between each of us opening one. Does that work for you Molly?" The little girl bounced with excitement, nodding so hard she nearly rocked herself off the couch. Ellie began to pass out gifts, starting with Molly, then going around the room in turn.

Molly got gifts ranging from art sets and coloring books, games, clothes and some Lego sets she had pointed out at the toy store. She was beyond excited, frequently exclaiming that it was the 'best Christmas ever'. Despite her excitement, she always thanked people with a hug for gifts that were not marked from Santa. As Ellie continued to pass out gifts, everyone grew silent when she called out Emma's name. Emma, and Sarah alike, sat in disbelief.

"F-for me? But…" she trailed off, clearly surprised and overwhelmed. She accepted the wrapped present and looked at the tag with curiosity. It read "To: Emma, From: Santa". She gave a small chuckle, pursing her lips to stave off the tears that threatened to fall.

"Well, go ahead and open it Mom," Sarah encouraged, giving her a teary smile. Emma nodded and began to rip off the paper to reveal the box beneath. Inside the box she pushed the tissue paper aside to find a framed picture of Sarah and Molly. She tilted her head to the side, biting her bottom lip as she ran her fingers over the picture. She was interrupted from her musings by a gasp from Sarah.

"Oh my God! Wait. Wait right here." Sarah leapt from the couch and raced to Chuck's room, returning only moments later. She plopped back down on the couch and began to rifle through her purse. After a moment of digging she pulled out a small photo and handed it to Emma. The older woman gasped much like Sarah had, covering her mouth with her free hand.

"Oh Sarah. I haven't seen this picture in so long." She held it beside the framed picture she had been given and begin to softly cry. Though taken twenty years apart, the poses and faces looked nearly identical. Sarah leaned over to her mother, wrapping her in a hug. When she pulled away, Emma looked around the room quizzically, but everyone's gaze was firmly planted on Chuck. He sat in his chair, with a blush, trying to look inconspicuous. It should have been evident from the beginning that this was Chuck's doing. Only having known him for a very short time, she was certain that this was something he would do. His kindness, his thoughtfulness, knew no bounds. Gently setting her gift aside, she stood and moved to Chuck, wrapping him in a hug. Chuck hesitated for only a moment, but he happily returned the hug.

"Thank you for giving me my family back," she whispered, squeezing him even harder.

"You're welcome. Merry Christmas," he replied, giving her an extra squeeze as well. She pulled away and made her way back to her seat, wiping away the tears from her cheeks. The photos had been passed around and Ellie gave Chuck an approving smile and nod, mouthing the word 'Aces'.

"Well, before you continue Ellie, I brought a gift as well." She stood again, making her way to the gift bag that was near the front door and returned to the couch. Once seated again, she handed the bag to Sarah. "Merry Christmas, Sarah. I've been holding onto this for a long time." Sarah gave her a look of confusion as she began to remove the tissue paper from the bag. She took in a quick breath followed by an 'Awwww' as she fanned at her face in a futile attempt at preventing her tears from falling. She gingerly pulled out an aged and well loved stuffed animal, pulling it close to her chest in a hug.

"It's Bunny…" she breathed out.

"Your father must have left it in his rush to get out of the house. I've held onto that little dog all this time. He's… he's been a great comfort to me, as he was for you. I think it's time you two were reunited." She reached out and brushed some stray hairs behind Sarah's ear, then caressed her cheek. Sarah leaned in and gave her mother a hug, sniffling as she tried to get her crying under control.

"Thank you Mom."

"Wait… You have a dog named Bunny?" Molly questioned, pulling everyone's attention. Sarah sniffed and let out a laugh.

"Yeah, Sweetie. And you have a bunny named 'Dog'. Funny how that worked out, huh?" Everyone gave a chuckle, remarking on how cute it all was. People began telling stories of their own favorite stuffed animals they had as kids. It was all so heartwarming and familial,something that Sarah had missed for so long.

"Ooo. I have a present for you, Mommy," Molly exclaimed, finding the little box under the tree. She had wrapped it herself, so it was fairly easy to pick out among the other gifts. She bounded over to her mother, presenting her with the gift.

"Baby, you didn't have to get me anything," Sarah protested, though the surprise and gratitude were evident in her voice.

"Yes, uh-huh. You do some much stuff for me, I wanted to get you something special for Christmas." The little girl beamed as she rocked on her heels, watching her mother open her gift. Sarah lifted the lid off the small box and gasped, and not for the first time that day.

"Oh, Sweetie. It's beautiful!" Sarah pulled out the small silver charm in the shape of a little girl with pigtails, holding a stuffed animal, that itself, was holding a pink enamel heart. Sarah showed everyone, which elicited 'awwws' throughout the room.

"It's a little girl, just like me!" Molly beamed with pride at the reaction her gift had gotten, her mother pulling her into a bear hug.

"I love it so much. Thank you Molly." As she hugged her daughter, she stole a glance at Chuck and gave a wink, mouthing 'Thank you'. He gave her a warm smile and a wink in return, saying nothing more. After the hug was concluded and her charm put back in its box for safe keeping, the passing out of presents commenced.

Molly had made out like a bandit, a mountain of gifts surrounding her on the floor. The smile on her daughter's face warmed her heart, thankful that all of these kind people had come into their lives and made this Christmas the most special she could ever remember. Ellie called out Molly's name as she pulled out one of the final gifts from under the tree. Sarah pulled herself from her musings to focus on her daughter opening the present. She read off the names on the tag before tearing into the paper.

"To Molly from… Mommy and Chuck." Sarah looked as surprised as Molly did but she quickly tried to hide it from her daughter. Sarah had no idea what the gift was, Molly having already opened everything that she had brought from her or "Santa", in addition to a slew of gifts from Ellie and Chuck. As Molly ripped the paper off she gasped in excitement.

"It's a tablet!" Molly nearly screamed with excitement. Sarah's eyes were nearly as wide as Molly's, as she snapped her head to face Chuck. He gave a sheepish smile and a shrug. When Sarah, Chuck and Molly had been on their shopping trip to the mall, Molly had seen a child playing with a tablet sitting outside of a store. She had mentioned how all of her friends had tablets or cell phones and she felt left out. Molly didn't whine or complain about it, but you could tell she was disappointed. Chuck had seen the saddened look on Sarah's face from that, understanding that there were probably a number of things that they both had to do without. With his Buy More employee discount, he bought a large ten inch HD tablet with kid-proof case. He didn't want to take all the credit, feeling that Sarah deserved just as much credit, having worked so hard to provide for Molly. Sarah was pulled from her thoughts by a hand on her knee. Turning to look at her mother, the older woman gave her a warm smile as she squeezed her leg.

"You picked a good one," she whispered, giving Sarah a wink. A smile began to grow across her face as she looked back over at Chuck. Molly had climbed into his lap and he was showing her all the features of the new tablet. Sarah slowly nodded as the smile reached her eyes.

"Yeah, I did. Or maybe more accurately, Molly did," Sarah confessed as she gestured with a nod toward Chuck and Molly. Emma and Sarah both chuckled to themselves as they watched the two nerd out over Molly's gift. Ellie cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. She nodded at Chuck as she held the last gift from under the tree. Chuck helped Molly off of his lap as he took the gift. Rather than sitting back down, he made his way to the couch and sat on the other side of Sarah, opposite Emma. He nervously cleared his throat and handed the small package to Sarah.

"Merry Christmas," he offered as he gestured toward the gift. Sarah was taken aback but carefully unwrapped the package to reveal a clam-shell box. She stole a glance a Chuck and around the room, all eyes on her. Lifting the hinged lid revealed a black velvet drawstring bag. Sarah painstaking lifted bag and held it in her hands.

"W-what is this Chuck?" She looked up at him, a bewildered look on her face.

"Open it," he urged, pointing to the bag. She looked at everyone who was gathered around, trying to judge their expressions. Ellie was beaming, a glimmer in her eyes. Devon had a warm smile, nodding to himself. Molly and Emma were both looking on in wide-eyed anticipation. Finally she loosened the drawstring and poured the contents into her palm. She smoothed it out in her hand to get a better look at its entirety. It was a silver charm bracelet with a number of beautiful charms already attached.

"Oh, Chuck. It's … it's beautiful," she whispered as she ran her fingers over it.

"It belonged to my mother. My father gave it to her when Ellie was born." Chuck took the bracelet from her hand and began to put it around her wrist.

"Chuck. This is a family heirloom. I can't take this…" she trailed off as she looked up at Chuck and then at Ellie. Ellie just gave her a teary smile and nodded her head in encouragement.

"Sarah, I want you in my life and I want to be apart of yours. This… this isn't a ring, but it's still a symbol. A promise that I'll always be there for you, with you, through the good times and the bad. You … me… us," he emphasized, gesturing to include Molly. "Some day, if you haven't grown tired of me, maybe we can get an upgrade to a ... sleeker 'ring' model. For now ... I just want you to know how much I love you." He gazed into her azure eyes, searching for a sign, any sign. He was a little fearful that it would be too much, especially given the emotional roller coater of the past two days. His fears quickly evaporated when she placed her hands on his cheeks and pressed her lips to his, in a long, deep and loving kiss. Eventually, they could hear people beginning to chuckle and clear their throats. Molly let out an 'ewww' followed by a giggle which caused Chuck and Sarah to smile into the kiss, slowly pulling apart. Sarah pressed her forehead to Chuck's and giggled as the happiness bubbled up from within her. With a wry smile she looked into his eyes.

"I love you. This is the best Christm-" Sarah was interrupted by the clearing of a throat beside them. She closed her eyes for a moment, contemplating how this could possibly keep happening to them. Finally she pulled away, her and Chuck turning to face the little girl standing beside them. Molly stood looking very serious yet nervous, rocking on her heels with her hands behind her back.

"Wh-what is it, Sweetie? What's the matter?" Sarah inquired, rubbing her daughter's arm. The little girl looked between her mother and Chuck then back again, swallowing thickly.

"There was one thing I wanted for Christmas that I didn't get. Something I wanted a whole lot. Santa said he couldn't get it for me, so I figured I'd have to get it by myself." Sarah looked to Chuck for some sense of what was going on but he seemed equally puzzled. Molly stepped a little closer to them, looking even more sheepish. She took a big breath and let out a sigh, looking so mature, well beyond her six years.

"I know that when a man and a woman are going to get married, he gives her a pretty ring. But… I didn't know what you're supposed to give somebody when you want them to be your daddy, but I made you this." Molly pulled her hands from behind her back, offering a silvery ring made from what looked to be twisty ties. Her blue eyes were shimmering as she looked up at Chuck, her expression was the most pure and innocent thing he had ever seen. When she presented the ring to him, the room gasped in unison. Chuck sat speechless, looking between this remarkable little girl and this symbol that she had crafted for him. He quickly turned to Sarah, hoping for some sort of guidance, but she was wracked with tears, covering her mouth, herself unable to speak. Sensing the little girl's growing uneasiness he took a leap and went with what his heart was telling him was the right thing to do.

"Molly… this… this is the single greatest gift I have ever gotten. You're sure that's really what you want?" Molly nodded her head emphatically, a stray tear rolling down her cheek. With that, the floodgates let loose and tears began streaming down Chuck's face. He took in a ragged breath before he could continue.

"Molly, it would be the greatest honor of my life for you to think of me as your dad. I love you and your mom so much, but I think you need to talk it over with your mommy. OK? I think she needs to have some say in the matter. Do you understand?" Chuck sniffled as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Molly seemed a little dejected but nodded her understanding. She stole a glance at her mother, half expecting to get a stern talking to. Sarah took Chuck's hand, giving it a firm squeeze, as if trying to both draw some strength from it and offer strength through it. With her free hand, Sarah took the ring from her daughter, examining it closely with an appreciative smile. Nodding at her daughter, Sarah lifted Chuck's hand, placing the makeshift ring on his finger. Both Molly and Chuck's mouths were agape at the gesture, the little girl covering her mouth with both hands.

"I think it's a perfect fit... What do you think... Daddy?" Sarah asked as she turned to meet Chuck's gaze. Smiling at one another through their tears, they were enveloped in a fierce embrace by little Molly. They all hugged for several minutes, laughing and crying as they whispered to each other.. When the crying had finally stopped and the three were able to pull themselves together, they could see the other family members in the room were just as emotionally spent, wiping away happy tears and blowing noses. Sarah pulled her head back to give some distance between her and Molly. Capturing her daughter's gaze she gave her a brilliant smile.

"What do you think?" As is if rehearsed, mother and daughter chuckled as they exclaimed in unison.

"Best Christmas Ever!"

* * *

**The End? How about I leave you all with a "Merry Christmas" and we'll see where things go from there. Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know that it was a rather emotional journey but I hope it was worth it.**

I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays.

Joe


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